Delegate: SOMNATH MAITY
Affiliation: INSTITUTE OF SLEEP SCIENCE
Short Bio: Director, Institute of Sleep Science
Clinical Researcher
Consultant Myofunctional Therapist
Specialty for Sleep Apnoea Breathing Disorder
Activity: Institute of Sleep Science conduct a Press Meet on 13th March at Press Club Kolkata. Experts say that it would require the involvement and cooperation of policymakers, healthcare professionals, and insurance providers alike. Prof Dr. Arup Das Biswas explained how untreated sleep apnea can lead to long-term heart disease in two different ways.” First, it cuts off the body’s oxygen supply, causing hypoxia,” he said. That leads to surges in blood pressure and heart rate. Over time, this can reduce cardiac function and lead to complications like hypertension, left ventricular hypertrophy, and atherosclerosis.
More than 104 million Indian adults suffer from Obstructive Sleep Apnea, a breathing disorder that interrupts the flow of oxygen while patients sleep. OSA is one of the most common forms of sleep disorders in the world, often progressing to more critical complications over time like heart attacks and brain strokes.
But why deny claims related to sleep disorders? Somnath Maity, Director of the Institute of Sleep Science in Kolkata, says it makes no sense. “The same insurance companies are paying upwards of 5 to 10 lakh INR when these patients enter the emergency due to Heart Failure, Brain stroke, RTA etc. This could have been avoided if they had paid 1/10th of the amount for basic sleep apnea treatment when the patient was first diagnosed.”
For the last several years, India’s medical community has been repeatedly advocating for sleep disorders to be brought into the fold of medical insurance. But insurance providers have remained silent.
Maity said there’s no real reason to deny claims related to sleep disorders. If insurance companies are worried about fraud, they can set forth clear criteria to assess sleep-related claims.
“But why deny access to life-saving treatment when doctors agree that it’s necessary?”
Location: Press Club Kolkata
Date of Activity: 13th March 2025
Submitted by: DiPSLEEP
