National Hospital presents conjoined twins separated by Nigerian doctors

The chief medical director Dr Jaf Momoh who disclosed this in Abuja on Tuesday said the cojoined twins girls were delivered via caesarian section at the Federal Medical Centre Keffi on 13th August 2018, and were referred to National hospital Abuja on 14th August 2018 where they have been on admission for 16 months at the neonatal unit if the hospital.

According to Momoh,  the management of national hospital decided to fund the medical care for the conjoined twins because their parents were indigent.

In his words, Momoh said “the hospital ensured that lack of funds did not deprive the twins girls the privilege of having access to quality health care which they needed to stay alive”.

Permanent-Secretary federal ministry of Health, Adbulaziz Abdulahi, in his address said this medical intervention is a ray of hope, adding that the health sector is responsive to the needs of the masses. This is while he expressed hoped for more medical advancement.

The minister of state for health, Dr Adeleke Mamorah, said the success story of the surgery of the twins speaks of the team spirit which medicare is all about. He stressed the need to downplay inter and intra professional rivalry that often occurs in the health sector. This is  while he congratulated all those who were part of making the separation of the conjoined twins possible.

He said “we need to encourage health care professionals so they can do more in delivering quality health care to Nigeria and I urge health care workers not to rest on their oars”

Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, pointed out that the process is a home grown surgical care and that the twins were nurtured by neonatalogists who cared for the them until they were old enough for the surgery.

“It is the first successful operation of this nature in national hospital and this provides the opportunity for more advanced surgery in the hospital”.

“This speaks to excellent team work, high professional care. The case management team have demonstrated that our health system can rise up to its highest standard and compete with global best practices, it also reveals that efforts to improve health care in Nigeria is not lost”,  Osagie said.

The minister urged all hospitals in Nigeria to aim higher by strengthening their health services. He added that the act of saving the lives of this twin girls Goodness and Mercy at no cost to the parents shows that National Hospital Abuja  is alive to its Corporate Social Responsibility.

Goodness and Mercy came to Abuja as conjoined twins who were joined at the chest, abdomen, with only one liver, will soon be discharged to their homes as two complete independent individuals.

The minister assured that since conjoined twins require post surgical care and close monitoring, the hospital will ensure this is done as the twins will require chest wall remodelling and revisit of the scar for the cosmetic surgery.