Treatment of world’s heaviest woman takes ugly turn as sister, doctor present conflicting views

Saimma Selim, the sister of world’s heaviest woman Eman Ahmed, has alleged that Dr Muffazal Lakdawala, who has been treating her, is lying about Eman’s health and recovery, adding that her sister has not recovered at all.

In an video uploaded online, Saimma has claimed that the doctor is not presenting accurate details about the case. “Dr Muffazal Lakdawala is a liar and is not giving right/factual updates about Eman’s recovery. Eman has not recovered one bit,” Saimma said.

She added that Eman’s health is delicate, her pallor has turned blue and that she has suffered a second stroke and several epileptic fits since landing in Mumbai.

However, when news agency ANI approached Dr Lakdawala to know the other side of the story, he denied all the allegations leveled against him by Saimma.

Instead, the doctor said that Eman is doing well and a CT scan will be done to ascertain her neurological condition. The doctor also said that Saimma is creating a scene because she does not want to take her sister back to Egypt due to financial reasons.

“Eman is fine and is doing good. She has recovered well and only a CT scan is to be done to ascertain her neurological condition. Actually, Everything was right with Saimma for initial 15 days after Eman’s treatment started but when she recovered and we suggested that she can be taken back to Egypt, Saimma started to create all this drama as she doesn’t want to take her sister back to Egypt due to financial reasons,” he told ANI.

The doctor also said they would be moving Eman from her ward to the CT scan room where one can see the stark difference between what Saimma is claiming and what the reality is.

By April 21, the 36-year-old Egyptian, who was the heaviest woman in the world at 500-plus kg until a few months ago, had lost 250 kg in two months after undergoing surgery here at Saifee Hospital.

“Eman has done miraculously well. We actually didn’t expect her to do this well because we had estimated that in six odd months she would lose around 200 kg,” Dr. Muffazal Lakdawala, obesity surgeon told ANI.

“The weight loss has also dramatically improved her health. Eman’s heart, kidneys and lungs are functioning better and her water retention levels are also under control,” said the doctor.

Shedding light on the challenges he and his team faced, Dr Lakdawala said, “More than a challenge, we took it as a humanitarian cause. We just couldn’t see her lying like that, so helpless, simply waiting for death to come. The risks of this case were 99%. I think now, we have given her a chance to live. If she gets physiotherapy done properly and wants to be able to walk, Eman will have to put in the efforts.”

“We’ll now weigh her after three-four weeks and are hoping she’ll come under the 200 kg mark. She is a fighter and she has a will to fight this,” he added