Plane with world’s heaviest woman set to take off for UAE
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.
