MUMBAI:
Eman Ahmed, the world's
heaviest woman who has come to Mumbai for a bariatric surgery to lose weight, has been put on a
low-calorie
, high-protein
liquid diet
.
“She has a lot of water retention. We are working to control this with medicines,'' said bariatric surgeon Dr Muffazal Lakdawala, adding that Eman could lose between 80 and 100 kg within the next four weeks. Doctors at Saifee Hospital in Charni Road, where Eman from Egypt is admitted, said the 36-year-old now weighs 498 kg.
“She has a BMI (body mass index) of 252 and is only 141cm (4 feet 6 inches) tall. She has high blood pressure, hyperthyroidism, gout, diabetes and sleep apnea,“ said the doctors on Monday.
Before starting the bariatric surgery, doctors want to wait for genetic tests to rule out genetic abnormality such as leptin defi ciency. “The genetic test results will come within four weeks, helping us decide the future course of action,'' Lakdawala added. If she is found to have a genetic deficiency , the blueprint for Eman's treatment has to be reworked. “An operation may not be necessary , but could help given her weight,“ said doctors at the press conference. A team of 13 doctors is working on Eman's treatment.
Eman reached Mumbai after six months of paperwork, needing foreign minister Sushma Swaraj's help in December to get a visa. “Eman's treatment cannot be done quickly . It will be a slow process,“ said Lakdawala. “We want to ensure she loses another 100 kg after surgery and is able to sit up. Walking is still a distant goal,'' he added.
The hospital said Eman's room is 1,000 square feet in size and contains a patient room, an attendant's room, a scrub room, and a toilet. There is a chain pulley and a lifting swing to carry Eman to the bathroom.
She will be treated free, but a crowdfunding effort is on to foot the bill for the logistics. The flight from Alexandria in Egypt to Mumbai alone cost Rs 83 lakh.So far, Rs 25 lakh have been collected, with sums as humble as Rs 100 from various Indians. The goal is to raise Rs 1 crore.