HYDERABAD: Vani and Veena have been guests of Niloufer Hospital since 2007. The conjoined twins, whose parents are agricultural labourers, consider it as their home now.
But now their parents have decided to go ahead with the surgery to separate them.
“They are already nine years old and it will become a major problem if they are not separated.
Therefore, we decided to go ahead with the surgery,’’ the twins’ father Murali said at a press conference in the hospital on Wednesday.
Dr K Ramesh Reddy, superintendent (in-charge), Niloufer Hospital said, “We have been asking the twins’ parents to give nod for surgery since 2007.
But they were reluctant to go ahead until we gave a guarantee that they will survive the operation.
Now, we have decided to form a team of national and international doctors to conduct a surgery to separate Vani and Veena.” He added that the children had not been discharged.
“We are concerned about the well-being of the twins.
Their intelligence is on par with other children but they have been cut off from normal life for several years,” Dr Reddy said.
He, however, alleged Vani and Veena’s parents had not visited them for over a year.
He said engaging nurses roundthe- clock to look after them was becoming a big ask as the hospital was facing an acute staff crunch.
“The twins move around like normal children.
They have been staying in an environment that is not congenial for children of their age,” he said.
A senior nurse who has been taking care of the twins said the girls are doing fine and have been provided education by some hospital staff.
Even they have got used to the hospital and are reluctant to go home.
“We are fine here.
We are provided everything from food to clothes.
We don’t want to go home,” Vani said.
However, Maragani Murali and his wife Nagalaxmi said, “We can’t afford money for the surgery.
If government gives some financial support for the operation and maintenance charge, we would like to take them home.” Vani and Veena were born in October 2003 in Beerisetty a gudam of Warangal district.
Till 2006, the twins stayed at the Guntur General Hospital.
They were shifted to the pediatric surgical unit at Niloufer Hospital in 2007 under suggestion from the director of Medical Education
Govt to Bear All Medical Expenses: DL
Hyderabad: “The government will explore all possibilities of surgery for the conjoined twins Vani and Veena,” said Health minister DL Ravindra Reddy on Wednesday.
The minister also dismissed speculations that the Niloufer hospital doctors had decided to send the twins home.
He also said the government would bear all medical expenditure and the conjoined twins would stay in the hospital.
“We have inquired the case of the two girls with medical experts from several countries like Singapore and the US.
We hope they find some surgery solution for Vani and Veena,” he said.