An Egyptian, once believed to be the world’s heaviest woman, left an Indian hospital on Thursday for the UAE where she will continue treatment following drastic weight-loss surgery, doctors said.
Eman Abdul Atti weighed roughly 500kg when she arrived in Mumbai in February, but has shed an astonishing 323kg since undergoing a series of medical procedures.
5.04pm: Eman has boarded the EgyptAir flight
4.01pm: The EgyptAir flight scheduled to bring Eman to Abu Dhabi has not yet landed in Mumbai
1.23pm: A special ambulance carrying Eman will be accompanied by Abu Dhabi Police, Civil Defence team and doctors.
1.11pm: Burjeel Hospital has confirmed that Eman is expected to land in Abu Dhabi by 8.30pm tonight
1.06pm: A special green corridor has been created for the ambulance to reach the airport without any delays.
1pm: Eman leaves Mumbai hospital for the airport, to fly to Abu Dhabi.
Eman was put on a special liquid diet in India to reduce her weight enough so that doctors could perform bariatric surgery.
The stomach-shrinking bypass procedure is increasingly common in India, which has a growing problem with obesity, particularly in urban areas.
She had not left her home in Egypt’s Mediterranean port city of Alexandria for two decades until she arrived in India on a specially-modified Airbus plane in February.
Her family told doctors that as a child she was diagnosed with elephantiasis, a condition that causes the limbs and other body parts to swell, leaving her almost immobile.
Eman has suffered a stroke and faced a series of other serious ailments owing to her weight, including diabetes, high blood pressure, hypertension and sleep deprivation.
She is unable to speak properly and is partially paralysed.
India is a major destination for medical tourists seeking quality services and no waiting lists at a fraction of the cost of western countries.
Eman was put on a special liquid diet in India to reduce her weight enough so that doctors could perform bariatric surgery.
