The recent successful separation marked the third time conjoined twins were separated in the hospital in 2013, 2018 and 2020.
At an elaborate occasion to celebrate the grand feat at the hospital premises in Yola, on Saturday, the Chief Medical Director (CMD) Professor Awwal Muhammad Abubakar noted that the success was attained as a result of the interventions of the Secretary to the Federal Government of the federation, (SGF), Boss Mustapha, the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas Ltd and Emeka Offor foundation who donated modern equipment that enabled the hospital to carry out the operation.
During the case presentation, Abubakar noted that the twins were delivered on December 12, 2019, through a cesarean section at Bayelsa State and were taken to FMC Yenagoa after identified to be conjoined and were stabilized.
He noted that the management of the FMC Yenagoa contacted the FMC Yola for the surgery which they agreed to perform noting that transporting the twins presented a challenge as the conjoined twins cannot be transported via a commercial flight because of some inherent challenges and psychological effect.
Abubakar thanked the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), for offering to transport them to Yola for free noting that they were brought to Yola when they were only 23 days old.
The CMD noted that since they were brought to Yola; the FMC took charge of them for free which also culminated into the surgery which was also conducted free of charge.
He noted that the incursion of COVID-19 pandemic caused a delay in the surgery as the hospital shutdown surgeries as only emergency surgeries are done.
Abubakar also thanked the Yola German hospital for availing their CT and MRI machines for free for the benefit of the conjoined twins.
He noted that the conjoined twins who have many organs however shared only one liver noting that the team of surgeons have to go around such that challenge.
The CMD noted that since the surgery on August 20, 2020; they have recuperated quick and started playing just after three days and where discharged on the fifth day after the operation.
He called on the federal and state governments to expand health insurance scheme to cover the informal sector, increase budgetary provisions to the health sector in line with the world approved best practices and also called on well-to-do individuals to come to the aide of the all-important sector.
