PGI sleeps over sleep disorders

Charu Chhibber

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 17

A shortage of doctors in the Department of Neurology, PGI, is forcing patients with various sleep disorders to go back home without treatment. The problem is so acute that the sleep lab of the department has been shut down. The sleep lab had been catering to a large number of patients with sleep deprivation problems for the past few years. 

On an average, 18 to 20 patients with various sleep disorders frequent the PGI every week, of whom only those suffering from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are referred to the Department of Pulmonary Medicine. The rest are asked to go back home, informed a senior doctor of the Department of Neurology.

However, even in the Department of Pulmonary Medicine, these patients have to wait for a long time for treatment.

Talking to Chandigarh Tribune, Dr D Behera, HOD, Pulmonary Medicine, said: “Since the footfall of patients is quite high and we can only take in one patient per night, the waiting period for patients is around six to eight months.”

There are over a dozen sleep disorders. Doctors categorise these broadly into respiratory sleep disorders such as hypersomnia, sleep apnoea, hypoventillation syndrome and neurological sleep disorder (central nervous system sleep disorders). These include lack of sleep (insomnia), disturbed sleep -- REM sleep behaviour disorder, restless leg syndrome (RLS), also called Willis-Ekbom disease, periodic limb movement disorder -- excessive sleep (narcolepsy), night terrors, sleepwalking symptoms, bedwetting, teeth grinding, non-24-hour sleep-wake disorder, sleep paralysis and sleep-related eating disorders.

PGI Public Relations Officer Manju Wadwalkar denied that the sleep lab had been shut. Wadwalkar said the lab was functional and Dr Parampreet was the in-charge.

Dr Parampreet, however, denied being the in-charge of the sleep lab. He confirmed that the sleep lab had been shut due to a shortage of doctors in the Department of Neurology and patients suffering from sleep disorders other than OSA were being asked to return home without treatment.

“The Department of Neurology gets a lot of patients from call centres and other odd-shift jobs who complain about sleep disorders such as feeling sleepy while driving, eating or even bathing. However, they are asked to go back,” he said.

“I can’t tell you more as I am not the in-charge of the sleep lab. I am an epilepsy specialist,” said Dr Parampreet from the Department of Neurology. 

Significantly, sleep disorders, according to doctors, are one of the most overlooked disorders in the region and have serious risk factors.