Uhuru Kenyatta lauds doctors who separated conjoined twins

Twins, Blessing and Favour, before the surgery that separated them on November 2, 2016. PHOTO | COURTESY | NATION MEDIA GROUP.

By  EVELYNE MUSAMBI  &  PSCU

What you need to know:

  • The President on Thursday also wished the twin girls a quick recovery and all the best as they embark on life after the surgery.

  • He thanked the medical team for their outstanding work, dedication and a great sense of civic duty.  

  • The joy of the mother, relatives and family friends of the girls is shared by the whole nation and beyond, he said. 

President Uhuru Kenyatta has congratulated the joint medical team that conducted a 23-hour surgery and successfully separated conjoined twins, aged two years.  

The team comprised medical professionals from Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) and the University of Nairobi’s School of Health Sciences.

The surgery is one of the continent's first, and given that it was conducted at KNH'S main theatre, it is testimony to the vast improvement in the quality and capacity of Kenya's public hospitals.  

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QUICK RECOVERY

The President on Thursday also wished the twin girls a quick recovery and all the best as they embark on life after the surgery.

He thanked the medical team for their outstanding work, dedication and a great sense of civic duty.  

The joy of the mother, relatives and family friends of the girls is shared by the whole nation and beyond, he said. 

The twins can now talk and respond to their mother, Nairobi News reports.

The hospital’s acting CEO Thomas Mutie on Wednesday said the children had been admitted at the Specialised Surgical Paediatric Ward for more than two years to allow development of key organs and also enable them to gain appropriate muscles to withstand the surgery.

PATIENTS STABLE

“Surgery of this nature usually required planning and regular consultation by a multi-disciplinary team of KNH and School of Health Sciences, UoN specialists to exchange ideas on how best to perform the procedure while minimizing the risk of either paralysis or neural damage,” said Dr Mutie.

He added that the children were stable and are receiving specialised care as medics monitor their progress.

“We are confident that they will fully recover and live normal independent lives to adulthood,” said Dr Mutie.

Dr Mutie thanked the team for conducting what he called the “first ever sarcophagus surgery in Africa” with great dedication.

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