In Abu Dhabi, it looks like a weight is off Eman’s chest

Dressed in a red outfit, Eman Ahmed, 36, winked at her doctors, joked around and spoke in full sentences in Arabic — a far cry from the traumatised patient wheeled away from the lobby of Saifee Hospital amid chaos on May 4. When someone spoke to her in English, she turned to her sister for a translation and then replied back in a congenial way.

Dr Yassin Sahat, Chief Medical Officer, Burjeel Hospital, Abu Dhabi, said, “When Eman was brought from Mumbai, she was in severe depression. We have used a multi-disciplinary approach to treat her, with obesity being just one of the issues.”

Eman’s weight continues to be of concern and she is on a high-protein, low-fat and low-carb diet, according to her dietician, Dr Anita Das Gupta. “She is eating on her own and loves chicken, hummus and ful, an Egyptian dish made with beans.”

The team treating her said that the first few days after she was brought to Abu Dhabi were the toughest for Eman, who did not want to communicate with anyone. But now, with the aid of psychiatrists, she is doing a lot better.

While the hospital refused to discuss Eman’s weight, she can now move both her …read more