NABH for small hospitals
Nursing homes and hospitals with 50 beds or fewer have a dedicated NABH programme: SHCO accreditation.
- Hospitals, nursing homes, clinics and dental
- Entry Level to full accreditation
- Gap analysis, documents, training, assessment support
NABH guide: all topics
What is SHCO accreditation?
SHCO (Small Healthcare Organisation) accreditation is NABH’s full accreditation programme for hospitals with 50 or fewer sanctioned beds. It uses the SHCO standards (3rd edition) and NABH runs a separate online application portal for SHCOs.
SHCO or Entry Level?
| SHCO accreditation | Entry Level certification | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Full accreditation | Entry-level certification |
| Beds | Up to 50 | Up to 300 |
| Official fee | Rs 1,50,000 + GST per year (annual fee) | Rs 21,000 to Rs 80,000 per 2-year cycle for up to 50 beds |
| Effort | Higher | Lower, a good first step |
See Entry Level certification and all NABH fees.
Getting a nursing home SHCO-ready
- Statutory licences in place: KPME, fire, KSPCB and biomedical waste, drug licence
- Policies and SOPs sized for a small hospital, not copied from large hospitals
- Infection control, medication safety and emergency preparedness
- Credentialed doctors and nurses with training records
- Basic quality indicators and audits
Get a free NABH readiness check
Tell us your facility type, number of beds and city. We will suggest the right NABH programme, estimate the effort and fees, and list the gaps to close first.
Frequently asked questions
Who can apply for NABH SHCO accreditation?
What is the SHCO annual accreditation fee?
Should a 30-bed nursing home choose SHCO or Entry Level?
Planning NABH?
Talk to the Medasus quality team in Bengaluru. We handle gap analysis, documentation, staff training and assessment preparation.
Last reviewed on 2 November 2026 against: NABH official website; NABH FAQs for hospitals; NABH accreditation, certification and empanelment programmes; NABH notification NABH/Gen/2024/1840: revised fee structure for hospital and SHCO accreditation from 1 April 2024. Medasus Healthcare Pvt Ltd is an independent consultancy and is not part of NABH or the Quality Council of India. Accreditation and certification are granted only by NABH after its own assessment; Medasus cannot guarantee results or timelines. Fees and rules change, so check nabh.co before applying.
