Surgeons in Saudi Arabia have successfully separated Hassanah and Hussaina, the conjoined Nigerian twins.
Ahmed Abdulkadir in Kano
Kano, The surgery began on Thursday at the King Abdullah Specialist Hospital for Children and was said to have lasted for 14 hours.
The procedure involved eight different phases and a team of 35 doctors, medical experts and nurses.
Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Rabeeah, supervisor-general of King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center, and leader of the surgical team, said following the separation, the reconstruction process has begun.
“We still have a couple of hours left for the reconstruction process, but thanks God the decisive phase has passed,” he said.
The twins, who were born in January 2022 at the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Kaduna, were conjoined at the abdomen, pelvis, liver, intestines, urinary and reproductive systems and pelvic bones areas.
They were moved to the National Hospital in Abuja, where they stayed for about eight months without undergoing surgery due to lack of funds.
The Government of Saudi Arabia, however, offered free surgery to the family.
Hassana and Hussaina, accompanied by their parents, arrived in Saudi Arabia on December 8, 2022, on an air medical evacuation plane.
The twins’ separation is the 56th carried out by Saudi Arabia’s humanitarian programme in 33 years.
Consulate General of Saudi Arabia in Kano, Khali Adam commended the efforts of Saudi Arabia King Abdullah for taking upon the entire exercise.
He said the effort had brought about relief for the twins to leave a normal life’s.
Alhaji Haruna Danzago a community leader in Kano on Friday lauded the efforts of King Salma for this wonderful support that lead to the successful operation .
He explained that this singular gesturex had restore hope to the twins and their family members .
” This is among the 55 successful operation carried out by the foundation in different parts of the world
We shall continue to be prayerful to Saudi King as well as to the foundation for this projects to continue to exist in helping humanity “,Danzago said.
