Former 'world's heaviest woman' dies in Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi: Once dubbed the world's heaviest woman, Egyptian national Eman Ahmed Abd-El Aty passed away at a hospital here on Monday just weeks after celebrating her 37th birthday.

According to medical experts at Burjeel Hospital in Abu Dhabi, Eman died at 4.35 am due to "complications from the underlying comorbid conditions, including heart disease and kidney dysfunction".

Eman was admitted to the Abu Dhabi hospital in May and was under the supervision of over 20 doctors from different specialties, who were managing her medical condition from the time she arrived in the United Arab Emirates. "Our prayers and heartfelt condolences go out to her family," said the hospital in a statement.

The woman, who initially weighed 500 kg, had undergone a drastic weight reduction surgery in Mumbai in March. Eman had shed at least 300 kg since undergoing several medical procedures, according to reports.

She was brought to Mumbai from Alexandria, Egypt, on February 11 on board an Egypt Air fully-equipped cargo flight. Eman underwent the weight reduction surgery on March 7 at the city's Saifee Hospital and was put on oral fluids.

However, later Eman's sister Shaaima Selim alleged on social media that the patient was not treated for weight loss properly and her health had deteriorated at the privately-owned hospital in Mumbai.

Also Read: Pakistan goofs up at UN; Maleeha labels Gaza photo as Kashmir’s

Shaaima accused bariatric surgeon Muffazal Lakdawala, Chairman of the Saifee Hospital Institute of Minimal Access Surgical Sciences and Research Centre, of being "a liar" and had posted on Facebook videos and photos purportedly raising doubts over the patient's progress.

On May 4, Eman was flown out of Mumbai to Abu Dhabi. According to Dr Nabeel Debouni, the hospital's medical director, Eman had shown much improvement since her admission to Burjeel in May.

"But her condition had deteriorated in recent days," he added.

Eman was bedridden for years and her plight first came to light when her family issued an online plea for help. She had supposedly not left her home for 25 years, and had been confined to the bed for year after suffering from a stroke.

She had been bedridden since the age of 12 after suffering a parasitic infection that "caused her limbs and body to swell", a Gulf news report said.