NEWS

Egypt's Eman: 'world's heaviest woman' moved to UAE after India surgery

Abdur Rahman Alfa Shaban

 

The Saifee Hospital in the Indian city of Mumbai confirmed on Thursday April 27, 2017; that the Egyptian reputed as the world's heaviest woman has left the facility to the United Arab Emirates to continue her recovery after a groundbreaking weight-loss surgery.

The hospital said Eman Ahmed's surgery was a 'proud moment in Indian medical history,' and that as at when she was leaving India her weight had dropped to 176.6 kg.

She weighed 500 kg in September last year and arrived in India on a chartered cargo plane but flew out of the country as a passenger in Business Class.

As the treatment here concludes she is being shifted to Burjeel hospital in UAE. Secondary physiotherapy will continue over there as it is closer to home for Eman and her family.

''The team of doctors at Saifee Hospital have done a fabulous job and her recovery has been unprecedented. She is stable and all parameters are under control. She will continue to need neurological rehabilitation and physiotherapy,'' head of the Saifee hospital's bariatric surgecy section said.

In explaining the decision to move her to the UAE, Dr. Aparna Bhasker said, ''As the treatment here concludes she is being shifted to Burjeel hospital in UAE (A hospital initially introduced to the family by Dr. Lakdawala).

''Secondary physiotherapy will continue over there as it is closer to home for Eman and her family,'' he added. He described Eman as an inspiration to critically obese persons around the world and added that they wished her well.

The journey for an Indian surgery

Eman was admitted to the Indian hospital in February 2017 after a Mumbai-based surgeon, Dr Muffazal Lakdawala, raised funds to have her flown over for treatment.

Reports indicate that her weight is due to gland imbalance which caused an accumulation of liquids. Her family says she has not been able to leave home for 25 years.

"Eman didn't live life as everyone does, she didn't enjoy her childhood or youth. She's been battling with her illness for 36 years." her younger sister and caretaker, Shaimaa Ahmed, told CNN.

The Indian surgeon, said he believed that Eman suffers from obesity-related lymphoedema which causes swelling of her legs.

It took the intervention of the surgeon who tweeted at India's foreign minister before the Indian embassy in Cairo agreed to issue her a visa. The hospital built a special facility to enable the weight reduction surgery.