New Delhi/Bhubaneswar: A team of 40 surgeons including experts from Japan today began separation surgery of conjoined twins Jaga and Balia of Kandhamal at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi.
Though the entire operation may continue for about 50 hours, the initial phase of surgery will take around 7 to 8 hours today, reports said.
Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik spoke to AIIMS Prof Ashok Mahapatra, who is heading the team of doctors and assured all help and support for treatment of the children.
"I join people of Odisha in prayers for success of surgery & new life for the conjoined twins fondly called Jaga-Balia," said Patnaik in tweet message.
“The twins were taken to the operation theatre at 4.45 am today. A 40-member team of doctors including neuro surgeons, general surgeons, paediatricians, plastic surgeons and cardiologist has been constituted for the rare surgery. We have also engaged an expert from Japan in the work. The operation started at 9 am today,” Health Minister Pratap Jena said.
With the help of State government, the twins were shifted to the AIIMS on July 13 after initial health check-up at SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack earlier in July. The Health and Family Welfare Minister Pratap Jena had assured to facilitate their treatment.
Odisha government had provided Rs 1 crore financial assistance while Kandhamal administration gave Rs 1 lakh for their surgery. The Collector had also requested all government employees to donate a day’s salary for their treatment.
The twins are 27-months-old and problems of their survival were increasing as they were growing older.
Born to Bhuan Kanhar and Puspanjali Kanhar of Milipada in Kandhamal district, the twins were originally known as Honey and Singh and were later renamed Jaga-Balia by the AIIMS authorities. The plight of the twins was highlighted after OTV first broke the news about them a couple of months ago.
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