“We are seeing an increase in hospitalizations” dengue, respiratory diseases and other non-Covid claims. The size of these claims has also increased, perhaps because of the additional protection that hospitals have to take. ICICI Lombard General Insurance MD and CEO Bhargava Dasgupta said after the company’s results, we will see to see whether the growth is temporary or structural.
Policybazaar, one of the largest distributors of personalized health covers, is witnessing an increase in the number of non-Covid calls. The calls are for infectious diseases, dengue and other viral fevers. “We are also seeing a rise in accidental injuries,” said Amit Chhabra, Head of Health Business, Policybazaar.
According to Dr Dev Pahlajani, Head of Interventional Cardiology at Breach Candy Hospital, Mumbai, there has been a 40% increase in the incidence of acute coronary syndrome, sudden heart attack and cardiac arrest in the last six to eight months. “There has been an increase in circulating conditions that necessitate a closer evaluation,” he said.
He added that patients who have been stable for years are also coming down with severe heart disease. The trend is visible in most cardiovascular departments, he said.
According to Niva Bupas health insurance Director (Underwriting, Product & Claims) Bhabatosh Mishra, covid Health claims plummeted last year as people were locked inside, hospitalizations were avoided and elective surgeries were delayed. “There is no major change in the number of emergency procedures like appendicitis, but cases like gall bladder surgery may be delayed,” Mishra said. He said that in view of the above normal monsoon, dengue cases have increased in many places, including Mumbai and Delhi, besides Bengaluru and Hyderabad.
“People have lost jobs, their source of income and probably sat idle at home for months. Those factors combined with lack of exercise can increase stress levels, putting them at risk of heart conditions,” Dr Pahlajani said. He said that due to the pandemic, people are missing out on regular check-ups of sugar and blood pressure levels. Symptoms of inflammation may also appear months later in Covid survivors. Dr Gautam Bhansali of Bombay Hospital said that in Mumbai, cases of dengue, malaria and chikungunya are rampant in hospital beds and not at present.
Mishra expects that the cases will continue to rise as the monsoon is not over yet. In addition, many elective surgeries are usually scheduled for winter, because given the weather in India, surgical wounds heal better and there is less risk of infection in monsoons.
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