Online Consultation

Elegance Diabetic Foot & Ulcer Clinic runs online consultations on one simple rule: triage first, payment second, consultation third. An emergency is never made to wait behind a payment screen. Before you book anything, we check how urgent your foot problem is - and if it is serious, we call you instead of taking your money.

Choose your pathway

There are two ways in, and they behave very differently:

The warning signs we screen for first

Whichever pathway you pick, the very first question we ask is whether any of these are present. Answer honestly - this is the question that decides everything that follows.

• A black, blue or suddenly discoloured toe or foot - see gangrene
• Rapidly increasing redness or swelling - see cellulitis
• Pus or a foul smell together with fever or chills - see diabetic foot infection
• Sudden severe pain, or a foot that has gone cold and pale - see peripheral artery disease
• Bleeding that will not stop
• Infection that is spreading above the ankle - see necrotising fasciitis
• Severe weakness, confusion, drowsiness or difficulty breathing
• "I am not sure, but I feel it is serious"

That last option is deliberate. If something feels wrong and you cannot name it, choose it. We would far rather review a foot that turns out to be fine than miss one that is not. Our full list of red flags is on the warning signs page.

How we grade urgency

Every enquiry is sorted into one of four bands before an appointment is offered. This is the same system our clinical team uses internally, so you can see exactly why you were given the slot you were given.

What we will ask you for

We collect only what is genuinely needed to advise you safely - nothing more:

• Name, age and gender
• Mobile and WhatsApp number
• City and current location, so we can point you to your nearest OPD centre if you need hands-on care
• Whether you are a new or existing EDFC patient
• Your diabetes status and how long you have had it
• The main foot problem and how long it has been there
• Whether there is fever, swelling, pus, smell, pain or blackening
• Current medicines and any allergies
• Any previous foot surgery or amputation - see post-amputation ulcers
• Your preferred language
• Whether a family member or caregiver will join the video call
• Your consent for teleconsultation and for the use of your medical data

Photographs and reports to upload

Good photographs are the difference between useful advice and guesswork. Please send:

• A full photograph of both feet
• Top and sole views of the affected foot
• A close photograph of the wound with a ruler or scale beside it
• A photograph that shows the redness or swelling
• A ten to fifteen second walking video, only if it is safe to take one
• Your current prescription
• HbA1c and blood reports
• Culture, X-ray, Doppler, angiography or discharge summary, if you have them - our own assessment and diagnostics pages explain what each test shows

Consultation types and approximate charges

The initial nurse triage is free - you are never charged to find out how urgent your problem is. Beyond that, most online consultations fall in the range of approximately Rs. 700 to Rs. 2,000, depending on whether you need a routine video consultation, a priority same-day slot, or a detailed second opinion with a full review of your reports. A follow-up within seven days of your consultation is free or carries only a nominal charge.

These are indicative amounts and are confirmed to you in writing before you pay. Nothing is charged without your agreement.

What the fee covers: the doctor's consultation and a digital treatment plan. What it does not cover: dressings, investigations, medicines, footwear, procedures and hospital treatment - these are charged separately, and we tell you what they are likely to cost before you commit to anything.

Booking and payment

Once you are cleared as Green or Yellow, the sequence is:

1. You choose an appointment slot
2. A unique payment link is generated for you
3. You pay by UPI, card, net banking or wallet
4. Payment is verified securely
5. Your appointment is confirmed and an invoice is sent

The rules we hold ourselves to:

• Your chosen slot is held for ten minutes while you pay
• The appointment is confirmed only after payment succeeds
• A receipt and invoice are sent automatically
• One free reschedule, provided you tell us at least two hours beforehand
• If the doctor has to cancel, you get a reschedule or a full refund
• If a Red or Black emergency comes to light after you have paid, you are referred immediately and the fee is refunded or adjusted

What happens during the consultation

Assistant pre-check - about 5 to 10 minutes

• We verify your identity, documents and photographs
• We re-confirm that nothing has changed and this is still not an emergency
• We check that your video and audio are working, so no consultation time is lost

Doctor video consultation - about 15 to 20 minutes

• History and visual examination of the foot
• A provisional diagnosis
• Your Green / Yellow / Red / Black risk classification, explained to you
• Advice on dressing, wound care, offloading and any investigations you need
• A clear decision on what comes next - a routine clinic review, a same-day visit, admission, or emergency referral

If you would like to know what an in-person visit involves afterwards, read our consultation process and preparing for your visit.

What you receive afterwards

Within a short time of the call ending, we send the following to your WhatsApp and email:

• A consultation summary
• An e-prescription, where one is appropriate
• Investigation advice
• Dressing and offloading instructions
• The specific warning signs that should bring you back to us urgently
• A recommended timeline for a physical visit
• EDFC contact details
• Your payment invoice

You keep all of it. Nothing about your plan is verbal-only.

Starting on WhatsApp

If you prefer WhatsApp to a form, that works too - and it opens with the same screening question, not with a sales pitch:

Welcome to Elegance Diabetic Foot & Ulcer Clinic.
Before booking, please tell us: does the patient have blackening of the toe, rapidly increasing swelling or redness, pus with fever, severe bleeding, or a cold or blue foot?

1. Yes - urgent help required
2. No - book online consultation
3. Not sure - request a priority call

When online is not enough

An online consultation is genuinely useful for follow-ups, second opinions, footwear and diet advice, and for patients who live far from Surat. It cannot replace hands-on care when a wound needs debridement, when circulation must be measured directly, or when infection has reached bone - see osteomyelitis and our vascular services. In those cases the honest answer from the doctor will be "you need to be seen", and we will tell you where and how soon. Your nearest OPD centre is often closer than you expect.