May 22, 2012
Dr. Atul Khullar, Medsleep’s Medical Director for Alberta, provided insight on Alberta’s approach to comprehensive sleep diagnosis and treatment, for Chris Zdeb, from the Edmonton Journal article “Sleep-deprived Albertans have lengthy wait for help”.
“About one in five people has a sleep disorder that affects their lives, most commonly obstructive sleep apnea. Others have medical conditions that interfere with sleep. This growing problem is the inspiration for a ninepart Journal series, In Search of Sleep, that begins today in Family & Fitness.
Albertans with sleep problems don’t have the same access to help as Canadians in some other provinces, says Edmonton psychiatrist Dr. Atul Khullar.
There are three public sleep labs that operate out of hospitals in Edmonton, Calgary and Lethbridge, but because of the waiting lists involved, many family physicians refer Al-bertans to respiratory home-care companies that sell machines developed to treat sleep apnea, or pauses in breathing. The tests that involve portable home monitors are free, but people who seek the test from a respiratory home-care company usually end up buying a sleep machine that costs $1,500 to $3,000.
That’s the traditional model of treatment for sleep deprivation, but it’s not good enough, says Khullar, who is medical director of the Northern Alberta Sleep Clinic, one of three private labs in the province.”
Dr. Atul Khullar, Medical Director, Medsleep Alberta, MD MSc FRCPC (Psychiatry) DABPN (Cert. Sleep Medicine)
Dr. Khullar is a psychiatrist who specializes in the combined management of sleep, mood and anxiety disorders, as well as sleep apnea in non-traditional populations.
The article appeared in Edmonton Journal, May 22, 2012.
You can find the complete article at Edmontonjournal.com