Maha govt to come up with SOP on treatment of international

After the treatment of the world's heaviest woman -- Egypt's Eman Ahmed -- at a hospital here created controversy, the Maharashtra government has decided to come up with guidelines to deal with international patients.
"The way Eman lost weight after surgery is a proud moment for all of us. This is definitely the finest example to boost medical tourism in the state. But we have learnt many things in this case. I feel the need of having a standard operating procedure (SOP) which would help prevent things turn negative," Health Minister Deepak Sawant said.
Sawant today instructed officials to prepare a note in this regard so that it could be issued to all hospitals.

The SOP will largely comprise precautions and guidelines to be taken while preparation of documents, sharing of information with patients relatives as well as embassy of the patient's country, process of discharge, process of shifting patients to another country for treatment, medical instructions that need to be shared with patient and relatives among others, Sawant said.
Eman weighed 498 kg when she was brought to India on February 11 for weight-loss surgery by the doctors of Saifee hospital here.
During her treatment in the last few weeks, her sister Shaimaa Selim alleged Saifee Hospital and Dr Muffazal Lakdawala, the bariatric surgeon heading the team that treated Eman, of negligence in medical care.

Eman was shifted to a Abu Dhabi hospital yesterday. Shaimaa had also taken up the issue with the Egyptian embassy.
On the day of discharge, Saifee hospital said Eman weighed 170 kg.