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For hospitals and clinics accredited or certified by NABH

NABH accreditation software, built to help you achieve NABH accreditation.

wai runs booking, clinical notes, patient messaging in the patient's own language, payments and records for India's hospitals, small healthcare organisations and clinics, and keeps every action as evidence a NABH assessor can sample. With notes signed, dated and timed during the visit and every enquiry answered on one record, wai is built to help you achieve NABH accreditation.

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Updated . Every NABH fact is checked against nabh.co and the other official pages cited below.

A woman in a white kurta standing on a stone terrace beside an infinity pool, the Mumbai skyline across the bay at dawn

For

Hospitals, small healthcare organisations, day care and specialty centres, clinics and health systems across India

Accreditor

NABH, a constituent board of the Quality Council of India

Standards

Hospitals 6th Edition, effective 1 January 2025, and SHCO 3rd Edition

Records

Hosted in their own country, under that country's rules

For hospitals, centres and clinics

  1. Hospitals over 50 bedsThe 6th Edition's 639 objective elements, sampled from records your teams already keep.
  2. Small healthcare organisationsSHCO accreditation for 50 beds or fewer, with every service on one record.
  3. Entry level applicantsCore elements first, then the full standard, without changing systems on the way.
  4. Groups and health systemsEvery site on the same record and reports, so evidence looks the same in Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru.

What a NABH assessment samples in wai

With wai, every enquiry is answered in the language the patient wrote in, every note is signed, dated and timed as the visit ends, and every price and policy the patient saw is on the record. When a NABH assessor samples ten files, all ten tell the same complete story.

What do the NABH hospital standards ask in 2026?

Ten chapters, 100 standards and 639 objective elements in the 6th Edition, effective 1 January 2025.

The ten chapters of the 6th Edition, in six groups. Open a group for the standards in it, quoted as NABH writes them.1

01Access, Assessment and Continuity of CareHow patients reach the hospital, are registered, assessed, reassessed, referred and discharged, with care that stays continuous across teams.6 standards
  1. AAC.1. The organisation defines and displays the healthcare services that it provides.
  2. AAC.2. The organisation has a well-defined registration and admission process.
  3. AAC.3. There is an appropriate mechanism for transfer (in and out) or referral of patients.
  4. AAC.4. Patients cared for by the organisation undergo an established initial assessment.
  5. AAC.10. Patient care is continuous and multi-disciplinary.
  6. AAC.12. The organisation has an established discharge process.

Access, Assessment and Continuity of Care on portal.nabh.co

02Care of Patients, and Management of MedicationUniform care guided by written guidance, safe procedures and anaesthesia, and medication prescribed, dispensed, administered and monitored safely.6 standards
  1. COP.1. Uniform care to patients is provided in all settings of the organisation and is guided by written guidance.
  2. COP.7. Clinical procedures are performed safely.
  3. COP.16. The organisation identifies and manages patients who are at high risk of morbidity / mortality.
  4. MOM.4. Medications are prescribed safely and rationally.
  5. MOM.5. Medication orders are written in a uniform manner.
  6. MOM.9. Narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, chemotherapeutic agents and radio-pharmaceuticals are used safely.

Care of Patients, and Management of Medication on portal.nabh.co

03Patient Rights and EducationRights and responsibilities explained on arrival, informed consent, information in a language the patient understands, expected costs, feedback, complaints and patient experience measures.6 standards
  1. PRE.1. The organisation protects and promotes patient and family rights and informs them about their responsibilities during care.
  2. PRE.4. Informed consent is obtained from the patient or family about their care.
  3. PRE.5. Patient and families have a right to information and education about their healthcare needs.
  4. PRE.6. Patients and families have a right to information on expected costs.
  5. PRE.7. The organisation has a mechanism to capture patient's feedback and to redress complaints.
  6. PRE.8. The organisation has a system for effective communication with patients and / or families.

Patient Rights and Education on portal.nabh.co

04Infection Prevention and Control, and Patient Safety and Quality ImprovementA structured safety programme, indicators, clinical audit, an incident management system with sentinel events, and infection prevention and surveillance.5 standards
  1. PSQ.1. The organisation implements a structured patient safety programme.
  2. PSQ.3. The organisation identifies key indicators to monitor the structures, processes and outcomes, which are used as tools for continual improvement.
  3. PSQ.5. There is an established system for clinical audit.
  4. PSQ.7. Incidents are collected and analysed to ensure continual quality improvement.
  5. IPC.6. The organisation performs surveillance to capture and monitor infection prevention and control data.

Infection Prevention and Control, and Patient Safety and Quality Improvement on portal.nabh.co

05Responsibility of Management, Facility Management and Safety, and Human Resource ManagementGovernance and ethics, a safe facility and equipment, and staff who are recruited, trained, credentialed and privileged.5 standards
  1. ROM.1. The organisation identifies those responsible for governance and their roles are defined.
  2. ROM.6. Management ensures that patient-safety aspects and risk-management issues are an integral part of patient care and hospital management.
  3. FMS.1. The organisation has a system in place to provide a safe and secure environment.
  4. HRM.6. Staff are trained in safety and quality-related aspects.
  5. HRM.11. There is a process for credentialing and privileging of medical professionals, permitted to provide patient care without supervision.

Responsibility of Management, Facility Management and Safety, and Human Resource Management on portal.nabh.co

06Information Management SystemA complete, accurate, chronological medical record, signed, dated and timed, kept confidential, secure and retained, and reviewed.5 standards
  1. IMS.2. The organisation has processes in place for management and control of data and information.
  2. IMS.3. The patients cared for by the organisation have a complete and accurate medical record.
  3. IMS.4. The medical record reflects the continuity of care.
  4. IMS.5. The organisation maintain confidentiality, integrity and security of records, data and information.
  5. IMS.7. The organisation carries out a review of medical records.

Information Management System on portal.nabh.co

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How does a NABH assessor gather evidence?

Five activities NABH's assessment procedure names, scored on samples across the hospital.2

  1. 01

    Document review

    Policies, SOPs and records, checked against the objective elements marked for documentation.

  2. 02

    Patient care areas

    Visits to wards, clinics and units to see the standards in practice.

  3. 03

    Functional interviews

    Conversations with staff about how they do their work.

  4. 04

    Facility tours

    The building, equipment and utilities, walked and checked.

  5. 05

    Special interviews

    Interviews the assessment team holds on specific areas of the standards.

  6. 06

    Sampling

    Each objective element is scored 1 to 5 on the share of samples that meet it.

How does NABH decide accreditation?

Each objective element is scored on a 5 point scale, and the Accreditation Committee decides against fixed rules.3

  1. Score 5Full compliance, 81 to 100% of samples
  2. Score 4Good compliance, 61 to 80% of samples
  3. Score 3Partial compliance, 41 to 60%
  4. Score 1 or 2No or poor compliance, 40% or less

  1. 639

    objective elements in the 6th Edition, 105 of them Core and assessed at every assessment.1

  2. 80%

    overall compliance is the minimum, with every Core element scored 4 or higher.3

  3. 4 years

    of hospital accreditation, with a surveillance assessment at 24 months from the award.4

  • Every Core objective element scores at least 4, and every standard and chapter averages at least 4.
  • No standard has more than one objective element scored 2 or less.
  • Every objective element scored 3 or below needs an accepted action plan with timelines.
  • Inadequate system documentation can lower a score by one.

What has changed at NABH?

Four things a hospital or clinic in India should know in October 2026.

  1. The 6th Edition hospital standards took effect on 1 January 2025. They kept ten chapters and cut the objective elements to 639, graded Core, Commitment, Achievement and Excellence, so a hospital is assessed on more each cycle.
  2. NABH's assessment policy, Issue 5 of August 2025, sets a desktop assessment before the onsite visit for its Entry Level programmes, and the Entry Level 2nd Edition covers hospitals up to 300 beds under one set of standards.2
  3. Under its complaints policy, Issue 8 of December 2025, NABH takes complaints about accredited hospitals only through QCI's Quality Setu portal, and only after the complainant has gone to the hospital first.
  4. NABH now publishes Digital Health Standards for Hospitals, 2nd Edition, and Digital Health Standards for HIS and EMR Systems and for Clinic Management Systems, 1st Edition.

Registration beside NABH

NABH accreditation is voluntary. Registration with the state is the legal floor, and the law differs by state.

  1. The Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Act 2010 applies to every clinical establishment, single doctor clinics included, in the 19 states and union territories that have it, namely Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Mizoram, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and every union territory except the NCT of Delhi.5
  2. Maharashtra, Delhi and Karnataka have not adopted it. Each registers under its own law, set out below for Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru.
  3. In Mumbai, the Maharashtra Nursing Homes Registration Act 1949 says no one may carry on a nursing home unless registered. The Health Officer of the Municipal Corporation registers it, and the certificate is valid until 31 March of the third year and displayed in the home. The Municipal Corporation's checklist asks for the doctor's Maharashtra Medical Council registration and biomedical waste registration.
  4. In Delhi, the Nursing Home Cell of the Directorate General of Health Services registers private nursing homes and hospitals under the Delhi Nursing Homes Registration Act 1953.
  5. In Bengaluru, a private medical establishment registers under the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments Act 2007, online through the KPME portal.
CityState lawWho registers
MumbaiMaharashtra Nursing Homes Registration Act 1949The Health Officer of the Municipal Corporation
DelhiDelhi Nursing Homes Registration Act 1953Nursing Home Cell, Directorate General of Health Services
BengaluruKarnataka Private Medical Establishments Act 2007Through the KPME portal, Government of Karnataka

What should hospital software in India actually run?

Each module runs part of the hospital or clinic, and records the evidence for the chapters beside it.

  1. 01

    Appointments and booking

    Online booking from your own website, every clinician's diary read from their calendar, reminders, rebooking after a missed visit and waitlist offers when a slot opens.

    Evidences Access, Assessment and Continuity of Care

    For patients
    Online booking at any hour, with a reminder before the visit.
    For the business
    Fewer missed appointments, and cancelled slots offered to the waitlist.
    On the record
    Every booking, reminder and change, with a time and a name.
  2. 02

    Billing and payments

    Card payments into your own Stripe account, the cancellation policy shown at booking, invoices, statements and reconciliation, with an export for your accountant.

    Evidences Patient Rights and Education

    For patients
    A clear price and policy before they commit, and an invoice in their app.
    For the business
    Payments reconciled against visits, with an export for your accountant.
    On the record
    What was charged, when, against which visit, and the price and policy the patient saw.
  3. 03

    AI scribe and clinical notes

    The note, letters and referrals written from the consultation, cited to published clinical guidelines, with the transcript beside the note, for the clinician to read, edit and sign.

    Evidences Care of Patients, and Management of MedicationInformation Management SystemInfection Prevention and Control, and Patient Safety and Quality Improvement

    For patients
    The clinician's attention stays on them during the consultation.
    For the business
    Less time spent writing notes after clinic.
    On the record
    A contemporaneous note, signed, with the time, the signature and the source it cites.
  4. 04

    Follow-ups and patient messaging

    WhatsApp, email and calls in one thread per patient, replies drafted in the patient's own language for your team to approve, a response clock on every new enquiry, and recalls a clinician approves.

    Evidences Patient Rights and EducationAccess, Assessment and Continuity of Care

    For patients
    A reply in the language they wrote in, approved by your team.
    For the business
    More enquiries answered within the hour, when they are most likely to book.
    On the record
    The whole conversation on one record, with response times.
  5. 05

    Referrals, consent and audit trails

    Recording consent taken at booking, referrals written from the visit, patient flags for controlled drugs and safeguarding notes, and every read of a record logged against a named account.

    Evidences Infection Prevention and Control, and Patient Safety and Quality ImprovementInformation Management SystemCare of Patients, and Management of Medication

    For patients
    Flags and checks in the record at the point of care.
    For the business
    Incident reviews that start from the audit trail, with times and names.
    On the record
    Who saw what, who changed what, and when, to the minute.
  6. 06

    Staff access and accountability

    Named accounts for every person, and role-based access enforced in the database, so every action sits under a name.

    Evidences Responsibility of Management, Facility Management and Safety, and Human Resource ManagementInformation Management System

    For patients
    Their record seen only by staff whose role allows it.
    For the business
    Access and actions tied to named people, in the same system as the record.
    On the record
    Who holds which role, and every action taken under it.
  7. 07

    Reporting

    Takings, front desk and website reports, response targets, and the patient's own record exportable on request.

    Evidences Infection Prevention and Control, and Patient Safety and Quality ImprovementResponsibility of Management, Facility Management and Safety, and Human Resource Management

    For patients
    A copy of their record when they ask for it.
    For the business
    Weekly reports for leaders on response times, the front desk and takings.
    On the record
    Reports for any period, produced on the day they are asked for.

Prices for clinics, groups and hospitals are published on the wai pricing page, and you can request a demo of the full platform.

A man walking through a sandstone courtyard at golden hour, a broad tree at its centre and a long shallow pool in front

How does wai evidence each NABH chapter?

For each chapter, the records wai keeps, how you produce them, and what changes for patients and the business.

Access, Assessment and Continuity of Care

Every booking, referral and visit on one patient record.

  • Online booking from your own website, every clinician's diary in one place
  • Referrals written from the visit and kept with the note
  • Reminders before the visit and rebooking after a missed one
  • One patient identity behind every visit, at every site

On request. Open any patient to show how they were booked, seen, referred and followed up, in order.

For patients
A booking at any hour, and a reminder before the visit.
For the business
Fewer missed appointments, and cancelled slots offered to the waitlist.

Care of Patients, and Management of Medication

Signed notes and checked prescribing, from the consultation itself.

  • Notes, letters and referrals written from the consultation, cited to published clinical guidelines
  • The transcript beside the note, for the clinician to read, edit and sign
  • Patient flags for controlled drugs, at the point of care
  • Every change to a note logged against a named account

On request. Show the signed note, its source and its time for any sampled visit.

For patients
The clinician's attention stays on them during the consultation.
For the business
Less time spent writing notes after clinic.

Patient Rights and Education

Every conversation with a patient, in their language, on one record.

  • WhatsApp, email and calls in one thread per patient
  • Replies drafted in the patient's own language for your team to approve
  • A response clock on every new enquiry
  • The price and cancellation policy the patient saw at booking

On request. Open the patient's thread to show what they asked, what they were told and how fast.

For patients
A reply in the language they wrote in, approved by a person.
For the business
More enquiries answered within the hour, when they are most likely to book.

Infection Prevention and Control, and Patient Safety and Quality Improvement

Incident reviews that start from the audit trail.

  • Who saw a record, who changed it and when, to the minute
  • Signed, timed notes for clinical audit samples
  • Reports for any period, on response times, the front desk and takings
  • Flags and checks recorded at the point of care

On request. Pull the timeline around an incident, with times and names, the same day.

For patients
Flags and checks in the record at the point of care.
For the business
Faster root cause analysis, from a record nobody has to reconstruct.

Responsibility of Management, Facility Management and Safety, and Human Resource Management

Every action in the record tied to a named person and role.

  • Named accounts for every person
  • Role-based access enforced in the database
  • Every action taken under each role, recorded
  • Weekly reports for leaders on response times, the front desk and takings

On request. Show who holds which role and what they did under it.

For patients
Their record seen only by staff whose role allows it.
For the business
Access and actions tied to named people, in the same system as the record.

Information Management System

A record that is signed, dated, timed and attributable by design.

  • Every entry signed with the author, the date and the time
  • One patient identity and one chronological record
  • Every read of a record logged against a named account
  • The patient's own record exportable on request

On request. Hand any record to a reviewer, complete, with its access log.

For patients
A copy of their record when they ask for it.
For the business
Medical record review drawn from live records, at any time.

What do patients and the business gain?

Published research on response times, ambient scribes and appointment reminders.

  1. 7x

    An enquiry answered within the hour is nearly seven times as likely to become a real conversation.6

  2. 30%

    Clinicians using an ambient scribe did 30% less work after hours.7

  3. 23%

    Patients sent a notification before their visit were 23% more likely to attend.8

How does wai surface NABH evidence on request?

What an assessor may sample, where it is kept in wai, and how it is produced.

  1. Medical recordsThe patient record, beside the transcriptOpen the visit to see the note, its author, signature, date and time together.
  2. Registration and referralBooking and referralsEvery booking, reminder, change and referral, with a time and a name.
  3. Communication and feedbackThe patient's threadEvery message, in the patient's language, with response times.
  4. Expected costsPaymentsThe price and cancellation policy shown at booking, and what was charged against which visit.
  5. Incident reviewsThe audit trail on every recordWho read or changed what, under which account, to the minute.
  6. ConfidentialityAccounts and rolesWho holds which role, and every action taken under it.
  7. IndicatorsReportsResponse, front desk and takings reports for any period, produced on the day.

How do you prepare for a NABH assessment?

A readiness checklist in four parts, built on NABH's own procedure.

01Eligibility and application

  • Operating for at least six months, with average bed occupancy of 30% over the last six months.
  • The right programme chosen, HCO for more than 50 sanctioned beds, SHCO for 50 or fewer.
  • The standards implemented for at least three months before applying.
  • Every service at the location included, because NABH accredits all or none.

02Self-assessment

  • Every objective element scored on NABH's 5 point scale, from samples.
  • Not applicable elements listed and sent to the NABH secretariat before the assessment.
  • Core elements at 4 or higher before the final assessment.
  • A named coordinator who owns the plan.

03Documentation

  • Every objective element marked with an asterisk backed by a controlled document.
  • Each document named, dated for issue and review, and signed for approval.
  • SOPs reviewed at least once a year.
  • Records complete and never altered after the fact.

04Medical records

  • Ten files a reviewer could read cold, complete and chronological.
  • Every entry signed, dated and timed, with an identifiable author.
  • Consent, costs explained and education recorded where they happened.
  • Access to records logged and limited by role.

What will a NABH assessor ask you?

Questions to expect in document review and functional interviews, what to show, and where wai holds the answer.

01Show me the medical record for this patient.

What to show

A complete, chronological record, every entry signed, dated and timed.

Where wai has it ready

Notes are written during the visit and signed with a time, and an amended note is signed again.

02How do you tell patients what their care will cost?

What to show

The expected cost, explained before care, and what was charged.

Where wai has it ready

The price and cancellation policy are shown at booking, and every charge is recorded against its visit.

03How do patients give feedback or complain, and how fast do you respond?

What to show

The mechanism, a defined time frame and the actions taken.

Where wai has it ready

Every message sits in one thread per patient, with the response time recorded.

04Walk me through your last serious incident.

What to show

The report, the analysis and the corrective and preventive action.

Where wai has it ready

The audit trail shows who saw and changed the record, and when, as the start of the analysis.

05How do you keep records confidential and secure?

What to show

Role-based access, an access log and where records are hosted.

Where wai has it ready

Role-based access enforced in the database, and every read logged against a named account.

06How do you communicate with patients who speak another language?

What to show

How the hospital identifies the need and meets it.

Where wai has it ready

Replies are drafted in the language the patient wrote in, for your team to approve before sending.

What is at stake in a NABH assessment?

Accreditation is voluntary, and keeping it is a standing commitment, with annual fees, surveillance and surprise assessments.

  1. ₹5,00,000

    a year, plus GST, is NABH's annual accreditation fee for a hospital of 501 beds or more, from 1 April 2024.9

  2. 1 year

    is the least a hospital waits to reapply after NABH withdraws its accreditation.2

  3. 30,000+

    hospitals accredited and certified, by QCI's own count.10

Request a demoEmail us

NABH guides

All NABH guides
  1. AccreditationHow does a hospital get NABH accreditation?9 min read
  2. AssessmentHow do you prepare for a NABH assessment?8 min read
  3. DocumentsWhich documents and policies does NABH expect a hospital to keep?8 min read
  4. EvidenceHow do you organise evidence for NABH's 639 objective elements?8 min read
  5. AssessmentWhat do NABH assessors do on the assessment day?7 min read
  6. SafetyHow should a hospital handle incidents and complaints under NABH?8 min read
  7. Patient experienceWhat does NABH expect of patient rights and patient experience?8 min read

Questions

What is the best NABH accreditation software?

The best NABH software is the system your hospital already runs on, so the evidence is a by-product of the work. Look for one record behind booking, notes, messaging, payments and access, entries signed, dated and timed, a full audit trail and reports for any period. wai is built that way, to help you achieve NABH accreditation.

Is there NABH approved hospital software?

NABH, the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers, accredits and certifies healthcare organisations. It does not approve, certify or endorse software, wai included, and software cannot earn an accreditation on a provider's behalf. wai keeps the records your team uses to show NABH how care is delivered, and NABH decides the accreditation.

Does NABH certify software against its Digital Health Standards?

NABH publishes Digital Health Standards for HIS and EMR Systems and for Clinic Management Systems, 1st Edition, with test cases. NABH accredits healthcare organisations, and wai shows your team how its records map to the hospital standards you are assessed on.

Is NABH accreditation compulsory?

No, NABH accreditation is voluntary. Registration with the state is the legal requirement, under the Clinical Establishments Act 2010 where it is adopted or a state law where it is not.

How long does NABH accreditation last?

Hospital accreditation lasts four years from the Accreditation Committee meeting, with a surveillance assessment at 24 months. Apply for renewal at least six months before it expires.

What is the difference between HCO, SHCO and Entry Level?

HCO accreditation is for hospitals with more than 50 sanctioned beds, under the 6th Edition. SHCO accreditation is for 50 beds or fewer, under the 3rd Edition. Entry Level certification starts with fewer objective elements and covers hospitals up to 300 beds.

Does wai work in Hindi, Marathi and Kannada?

wai drafts replies in the language the patient writes in, for your team to approve before anything is sent.

Where does wai keep our records?

In its own country, under that country's rules, encrypted, with a full audit log. We set this up with you before go-live.

NABH and the law in our Indian cities

All regulators
  1. By cityMumbai, where the Maharashtra Medical Council registers doctors and the DPDP Rules 2025 phase in over 18 months.
  2. By cityDelhi, the Delhi Nursing Homes Registration Act for any clinic that admits patients, and the Delhi Medical Council's register.
  3. By cityBengaluru, the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments Act 2007, its Patient's Charter and a published schedule of charges.

Across India and Asia

  1. Read nextAll regulators
  2. Read nextJCI accreditation
  3. Read nextMSQH accreditation, Malaysia
  4. Read nextHCSA licensing, Singapore
  5. Read nextClinic management software
  6. Read nextSecurity
  7. Read nextPricing

See wai on your own diary, notes and inbox.

Thirty minutes on video, on your own hospital's records, with the NABH chapters beside them. Built to help you achieve NABH accreditation. wai hosts each clinic's records in its own country, under that country's rules. We set this up with you before go-live.

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team@wellnessa-i.com

Sources

  1. 1NABH, 2025NABH Accreditation Standards for Hospitals, 6th Edition, effective 1 January 2025Read source
  2. 2NABH, 2025Policies and Procedures for Assessment, Surveillance and Re-assessment of HCO, Issue 5Read source
  3. 3NABH, 2025NABH Accreditation Standards for Hospitals, 6th Edition, effective 1 January 2025Read source
  4. 4NABH, 2025NABH Accreditation and Certification Timeline, Issue 4Read source
  5. 5Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, 2026The Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Act, 2010Read source
  6. 6Harvard Business Review, 2011The Short Life of Online Sales LeadsRead source
  7. 7JAMA Network Open, 2025Clinician Experiences With Ambient Scribe Technology to Assist With Documentation Burden and EfficiencyRead source
  8. 8BMJ Open, 2016Using digital notifications to improve attendance in clinic, systematic review and meta-analysisRead source
  9. 9NABH, 2026Hospitals Accreditation Programme (HCO)Read source
  10. 10Quality Council of India, 2026Quality Council of IndiaRead source