HMSH DRAFT PRESS BRIEFING ON CONJOINED TWINS
27th July, 2020.
The Honourable Minister for Health
The Chairman Governing Board Federal Medical Centre Keffi
The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health
The Director of Hospital Services
The Medical Director, Federal Medical Centre Keffi
Gentlemen of the Press,
I am delighted to inform you today about a milestone event that took place at one of our Federal Medical Centres under the Federal Ministry of Health a few weeks back.
The Ministry remains very grateful to His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR for his support in encouraging Nigerian Tertiary Institutions to bridge the gap of medical tourism through clinical research and skill development.
This briefing on a milestone event by the Federal Ministry of Health is in relation to the successful separation of conjoined twins by the Federal Medical Centre, Keffi, Nasarawa State.
Separation of conjoined twins was a phenomenon that we were used to hearing take place in medical practice of the first world but here we are today also announcing an operation carried out by one hundred percent Indigenous Medical Team leading to the separation of Omphalopagus conjoined twins name Hassana and Husseina Ukpo.
Brief Background:
The conjoined twins were born about fifteen months ago in a Health Facility in Nasarawa State and referred to the Federal Medical Centre, Keffi.
After extensive clinical and detailed investigations, the twins were adjudged to be joined at the abdomen and rib cage, they shared a common liver, subcutaneous tissue and skin with fixed xiphisternum and cartilages of the 10th and 11th ribs.
The extensive preparation for the separation involved a multidisciplinary team of over fifty (50) Medical Experts cutting across the following specialties. Paediatric Surgeons, Plastic Surgeons, Cardiothoracic Surgeons, Anaesthetists, Intensivists, Paediatricians/Neonatologist, Laboratory Physicians, Scientists, Radiologists, Nurses, Pharmacists, Social Welfare Officers, Physiotherapists, Orthopedic Surgeons etc.
On the 10th of July, 2020, after a 9 – hour long surgery, they were successfully separated with no intra operative complications. They are being managed in the intensive care unit and the post-operative events and outcome have been most satisfactory. As at today the twins are hale and hearty and playing around at the Federal Medical Centre, Keffi and are with us here Friday.
This is what we have been able to achieve by working together. As we have always said, we have some of the trained medical personnel anywhere in the world. Our institutions are strong and viable and with the needed encouragement they can rank among the best in the world.
Ladies and Gentlemen, permit me to commend all those involved in this great feat and to say thank you for putting our country up there and soon with the right encouragement, our country will be a destination for medical tourism.
My special thanks go to the Executive Governor of Nasarawa State, Engr. A. A. Sule for his support to the Centre to make this a success.
I commend also the Chairman of the Governing Board, Prince Sule-Iko Sadieq Sami and members of the Board for this event happening during their watch. My appreciation also goes to the Medical Director/Chief Executive, Dr. Yahaya Baba Adamu for his tireless efforts at assembling such a powerful medical team.
I wish to assure you that from henceforth, Federal Medical Centre, Keffi will be one of the Centres of Federal Government focus on specialized surgeries.
Long Live Federal Republic of Nigeria
Long Live Federal Ministry of Health
