A few months ago, Egypt's Eman Ahmed Abdulati tipped the scales, weighing over 500 kg. Dubbed the 'world's heaviest woman,' she was flown to India after a doctor had pledged to help in her journey to weight-loss and better health.
Prior to that, Eman had been unable to move - a condition she had been living with for over 25 years - leading authorities, who rejected her visa at first, to transport her via an Egypt Air cargo plane earlier in February, after her family made a social media plea.
According to reports, doctors at India's Saifee Hospital in Mumbai had said that Abdulati had lost some 50 kg in less than two weeks since the start of the treatment, which began in February.
She has gone on to lose 327kg, the hospital added, according to The Times Of India.
But these numbers are "lies," according to Andulati's sister who recently posted a series of photos and a video to Facebook, which ultimately went viral. Shaimaa Salim has accused the doctors caring for her sister of negligence and medical malpractice.
Salim even berated the surgeon who took on the case - Muffazal Lakdawala - and the hospital, saying that the hospital has put "Eman on massive medication to stop her brain activity."
"My problem is [that] the hospital isn’t equipped to handle such a [severe] case. These people [only] care about show and propaganda and to appear in the media," Salim said.
Salim also accused those involved of using the drastic weight-loss figures to boost their own image.
She said that her sister had not lost the amount of weight claimed by the doctors and hospital. They never weighed Eman, she said, and the numbers released to the media were based on estimates.
However, the hospital's chief operating officer Huzaifa Shehabi dismissed the allegations and reassured that Abdulati's weight is currently less than 200 kg.
"Eman's weight has gone down miraculously, faster than expected. She now weighs less than 204 kg. If a patient's treatment is over, we can't unnecessarily keep her in [the] hospital," said Sahebi, according to Times of India.
The doctor who first took on the case speaks out
The doctor, who aided Eman's arrival to India for treatment after her medical visa was denied - Muffazal Lakdawala, a bariatric and laparoscopic surgeon - is also one of Salim's main targets.
"Dr Muffazal cheated on us. [He is a] liar, he said Eman will be treated and promised that she will be fine and lose weight. Eman is destroyed, she has been operated [on] just to show people she lost some weight," Salim said.
Lakdawala explained that Eman's likely discharge this week may have caused Salim's social media outbursts.
"Not a single hospital or doctor was ready to treat Eman and now when she has lost so much weight, the family is raising questions on a consolidated humanitarian effort, which has saved her life,” said Lakdawala, according to Hindustan Times.
He also tweeted his disappointment at what Salim has done, emphasizing that he "will continue to treat and pray for Eman."
Another doctor - who has been on the case since the beginning - also expressed her disappointment in a Facebook post ... that has since gone viral
Aparna Govil Bhasker has been heavily involved in Eman's journey. A few months ago, she had flown out to Egypt to help bring Eman to India to begin the treatment.
Bhasker was both "angry and disappointed" at the way Eman's sister attacked all those involved, resigning from the care of her patient in a Facebook post soon after.
"I hereby resign from the care of Eman Abdulati with immediate effect," Aparna Govil Bhasker wrote in the post.
"I had thought that Eman's case would go down in annals of medicine as one of the biggest medical challenges overcome. I feel extremely saddened today that though that challenge have been overcome, it has created history - but of a very different kind [sic]."
The post has garnered over 3,000 shares and nearly 3,000 likes at the time of writing.
"We didn't just provide medical care, we fell in love with Eman," Bhasker wrote in response.
"We didn't just provide medical care, we fell in love with Eman. She became our obsession. Even my 3-year-old son made peace with the fact that in his mother's life at the moment Eman aunty takes precedence [sic]," Bhasker continued.
"Unfortunately Eman's case is an example of the worst kind of assault that a patient's family can do to a doctor, [sic]" she said.
"I am appalled at the irony that today when Eman’s health is the best that it has ever been in last 25 years, her sister chooses to go down this path, [sic]" she added.
