National Hospital discharges separated conjoined twins

The National Hospital, Abuja has discharged Goodness and Mercy Martins, conjoined twin girls who were successfully separated.

They were discharged on Thursday, nine weeks after the girls were separated.

A team of doctors conducted an operation to separate the girls who were joined at the chest, abdomen and liver on November 14.

Before the operation in November, the girls and their parents were admitted at the hospital for more than 16 months after they were referred from Federal Medical Centre, Keffi, Nasarawa state, in August 2018.

Speaking on Thursday, Jaf Mommoh, the chief medical director, said separation of Goodness and Mercy was more successful than the previous six carried out by the hospital.

Mommoh said the hospital decided to fund the care and the entire process leading up to the major surgical procedure as “our corporate social responsibility”.

On her part, Patricia Etteh, said the hospital would continue to monitor the twins to ensure that they live a healthy life.

While calling on Nigerians to assist the parents to enable them to cater for the twins, Etteh, a former speaker of the house of representatives, said the hospital would donate N200,000 to them for upkeep.

Emmanuel Ameh, head of the medical team, said conjoined twins were very few in the world and that not every surgeon had enough experience to separate them.

Ameh said the operation lasted for more than 12 hours and involved 78 medical personnel.

Michael Edeh, father of the girls, thanked the hospital and promised to take care of the girls.