The Saifee Hospital here on Tuesday strongly refuted allegations by the sister of Egyptian national Eman Ahmed Abd El Aty that she was not treated for weight loss properly and that her health has deteriorated.
Eman's sister Shaaima Selim has accused bariatric surgeon Muffazal Lakdawala, Chairman of the Saifee Hospital Institute of Minimal Access Surgical Sciences & Research Centre, of being "a liar" as she posted on Facebook videos and photos purportedly raising doubts over the patient's progress.
The 37-year old Eman, weighing around 500 kg and dubbed as the "world's heaviest woman" who had not stepped out of her flat for over 25 years, was airlifted in a cargo plane from Alexandria to Mumbai on February 11 for her weight loss treatment at the hospital.
Reacting to Shaimaa's April 14 Facebook posts, Lakdawala has said he is "extremely saddened by this and if this is the result, humanitarian deeds will stop completely".
"Shaimaa Selim, u killed humanity with one swell blow. May only God help u when u realize what u have done. I will continue 2 treat & pray 4 Eman," he tweeted in reaction to Shaimaa's social media posts.
He said: "Truth shall eventually prevail. Its like the sun u try and cover it as much as u want, it will shine thru & burn your hands in the process."
Just a day after the video was shared on social media, generating a lot of buzz, Dr Aparna Govil Bhasker — Section Chief, Bariatric Surgery, Saifee Hospital, Mumbai, and Ahmed’s doctor — posted her resignation on Facebook, refuting Selim’s claims. In the detailed and emotional post, Bhasker said she had “thought that Eman’s case would go down in annals of medicine as one of the biggest medical challenges ever overcome. I feel extremely saddened today that though the challenges have been overcome, it has created history but of a very different kind.
“We put our heart and soul into her care. No stones were left unturned. The team of doctors, nurses and physiotherapists toiled day in and day out to make this one patient live. 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 ….
“But today I feel angry and deeply dissappointed.
Unfortunately Eman’s case is an example of the worst kind of assault that a patient’s family can do to a doctor.”
The hospital alleged that Shaimaa is not prepared to take back her sister and the fright over Eman's likely discharge this week has resulted in her outbursts.
"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 hospital," said Huzaifa Sahebi, the COO of Saifee Hospital which treated her free of cost.
Joining the debate, the bariatric surgery section chief Aparna Govil-Bhasker termed Shaimaa's allegations as "the worst kind of assault that a patient's family can do to a doctor".
"What her sister has done is worse than physical assault on a doctor -- she has broken the bond of trust between doctors and patients. I am appalled at the irony that today Eman's health is the best it had ever been in past 25 years, yet her sister chooses to go down this path. The truth is out there for all to see," she said.
Accusing Shaimaa of being an "uncaring" relative using the medical system to dump her sister and enjoy life, she said in future, doctors would play safe and avoid taking challenges like this.
At the time of admission, Eman weighed around 500 kg but after bariatric surgery in March, she lost initially 100 kg through a strict protein-rich liquid diet regimen.
Shaimaa claimed in her video message in Arabic that "Eman does not talk at all. She is unable to move and looks bluish. No improvement".
