Online doctor consultation: what it can and cannot do.
A video consultation with Dr. Prabhat Arya is a real medical consultation, done over a phone or computer instead of across a desk. This page answers the questions people ask most before booking one.
Reviewed by Dr. Prabhat Arya, MBBS, MD (Internal Medicine), Delhi Medical Council Reg. No. DMC-83759 · Updated
Keep these beside the phone: your reports, your medicine strips, your home readings, and good light on your face.
You leave with a prescription if medicines are needed, the tests to do and why, a follow-up date, and the signs that mean hospital.
Is it legal in India?
Yes. Since 25 March 2020, India’s Telemedicine Practice Guidelines allow a registered doctor to consult patients by video, voice call or message. They are part of the rules of professional conduct that every doctor in India must follow.
Can an online doctor prescribe?
Yes, many medicines, within limits the guidelines set. They sort medicines into groups:
- Everyday medicinesSuch as paracetamol, ORS and antacids. Can be prescribed in any kind of online consultation.
- Many common medicinesCan be started on a video call, where the doctor can see and talk with you. Medicines for a long-term illness such as diabetes or BP can be continued.
- Some medicinesCan only be added at a follow-up, to treatment first started at an in-person visit for the same illness.
- Never onlineMedicines in Schedule X, and narcotic and psychotropic medicines under the NDPS Act, such as some strong painkillers and some sleeping and anxiety medicines.
Within these rules, what to prescribe is his medical decision, just as it is in a clinic. If a medicine is not right to start online, he will tell you why and where to go.
Every prescription carries his name, qualification, registration number and signature, as the guidelines require.
What happens on the call.
- You book a time on the booking page.
- He confirms who you are: your name, age and where you live, at the start of the call; if in doubt, he may ask for an ID. The guidelines ask every doctor to do this.
- He asks and listens: what is wrong, since when, what you have already tried, every medicine you take.
- He looks at what the camera can show: your throat, skin, a swelling, your breathing, how you walk. He may ask you to take your BP or sugar while he watches.
- He goes through your reports with you, line by line.
- He explains what he thinks is going on, in plain words, and what he wants to rule out.
- You get a plan: a prescription if medicines are needed, which tests to do and why, when to follow up, and which signs mean you should go to a hospital.
Have it ready.
Tick them off as you gather them. The ticks stay on this phone only.
Online, or in person?
Any emergency needs a hospital, not a video call. Do not wait for a booking.
A video call can
- Take a full history
- Go through your reports and medicines
- Follow up an ongoing illness
- Decide whether you need to be seen in person
Needs a visit in person
- When he needs to feel, press or listen: a lump, belly pain that is not settling, new sounds in the chest
- When you need an injection, a drip or a procedure
- When what he can see on camera is not enough to be sure
Fees, plainly.
You see the fee before you book, and pay by UPI or card. Consultations are Monday to Saturday, 10 am to 1 pm and 5 to 9 pm, India time; on Sundays, SOS requests only.
| Consultation | Fee | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Quick follow-up, up to 5 minutes | ₹600 | Only for patients he has seen before: a follow-up, a short question, one report to look at |
| Regular, up to 15 minutes | ₹1,000 | A first consultation, a new problem, or a full review of an ongoing one |
| Deep dive, no fixed time limit | ₹1,500 | Several problems together, a large pile of reports, or a fresh look at a long illness |
| Sunday SOS, up to 20 minutes | ₹2,000 | Something that cannot wait until Monday: send a request, and he sets a time if he can. Not for emergencies: call 112 |
Questions people ask.
Is it the same as the free government service?
No. eSanjeevani is the Government of India’s free online consultation service. This is a private, paid consultation with one doctor, Dr. Prabhat Arya, who follows you up himself.
Can a doctor in Delhi consult me if I live in another state?
Yes. The guidelines allow a registered doctor to consult patients anywhere in India.
Is my consultation private?
The same duty to keep what you say confidential applies as in a clinic. Take the call somewhere you can speak freely.
Can someone from my family join?
Yes. Someone can sit with you, or join the call from another city or country. Ask when you book; Dr. Arya approves each person who joins.
What does it cost?
₹600 for a quick follow-up of up to 5 minutes (only if he has seen you before), ₹1,000 for a regular consultation of up to 15 minutes, which is where a first consultation starts, and ₹1,500 for a deep dive with no fixed time limit. On Sundays he sees SOS requests only, at ₹2,000. You pay by UPI or card.
Which languages does he consult in?
Hindi and English.
When can I book?
Monday to Saturday, 10 am to 1 pm and 5 to 9 pm, India time.
What if the call fails?
If the call fails from our side, or he has to cancel, you choose: a full refund or a free new booking. You can cancel free of charge up to one hour before the call.
Ready when you are.
Bring your reports and medicines. He goes through them with you, in plain words, and says clearly if you need to be seen in person.
Book a video consultationDr. Prabhat Arya · MBBS, MD (Internal Medicine) · Delhi Medical Council Reg. No. DMC-83759