Eman Ahmed has lost 324 kg during her weigh-loss treatment at Mumbai's Saifee hospital
Egyptian woman Eman Ahmed, who left Mumbai today to continue her weight-loss in Abu Dhabi, has reached her new destination.
Ms Ahmed, who weighed around 500 kilograms when she arrived in Mumbai in March, lost 324 kg during her weigh-loss treatment at city's Saifee hospital. The 37-yer-old Egyptian national was put on a special liquid diet at the hospital to reduce her weight enough so that doctors could perform bariatric surgery.
With her weight standing at 176.6 kilograms, she will begin a year-long course of physiotherapy at VPS Burjeel hospital in Abu Dhabi, her doctors in Mumbai said.
"We have arranged for a hydraulic stretcher from Italy for Eman's journey and she will have doctors, paramedics and nurses with her during the journey," Sanet Meyer, director of medevac at VPS Burjeel, told news agency AFP ahead of the trip.
Speaking to NDTV, the CEO of VPS Dubai and Northern Emirates Dr Shajir Gaffar said "Eman will be given complete rehabilitation which will ensure that she gets both physiological and psychological care to give her a quality healthy life."
Ms Ahmed's treatment at Saifee hospital took a controversial turn after her sister alleged that she had not shed half her weight, as the doctors had claimed. Ms Ahmed's sister also claimed that the doctors were using her for publicity. Doctors however dismissed the allegations as "complete hogwash".
Doctors claimed that the hospital did not charge "a single penny" from Eman's family for the treatment. "We have not asked for a single penny from Eman's family. We are happy that we did bring her weight down," said
Dr Muffazal Lakdawala, who supervised her treatment at the Mumbai hospital.
According to Saifee authorities, the total cost incurred on Eman's treatment was around Rs. 3 crore, of which the hospital received Rs. 65 lakh in the form of donations from Indians.
Eman's sister, in an online video had recently alleged that the doctors at Saifee, made "false claims" about Eman's complete recovery and weight loss of 262 kg.
Refuting the allegations, Dr Aparna Bhaskar, section chief of bariatric surgery at Saifee Hospital, had said that Shaimaa may be criticising the doctors to extend her sister's stay at the hospital.
Dr Lakdawala too had denied the charge.
Saifee authorities had on April 27 filed a written complaint against Shaimaa at VP Road police station for obstructing the medical treatment of Eman.
The hospital had alleged that Shaimaa tried to put water in Eman's mouth, despite being told that she must be fed by tube only.
Eman underwent bariatric surgery in March in which doctors reduced her stomach size by two-third, so as to reduce her food intake. Her genetic tests had showed that she has a rare gene mutation that cannot be cured through surgery.
Eman has been treated by Dr Lakdawala and a team of around 15 doctors from various disciplines since she was brought here from Alexandria on February 11 this year.
(with inputs from agencies)