MNH yet to discharge Kisarawe conjoined twins citing poor home conditions

What you need to know:

  • Doctors say the conjoined twins who were separated at MNH won’t be discharged for now because living conditions back at their home in Kisarawe District do not guarantee their survival.
  • The twins’ mother, Ms Esther Simon said she has no health insurance to assure the children of better treatment in case they fall sick. She is seeking help from well-wishers.

Dar es Salaam. Conjoined twins who were recently separated at the Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH) are yet to be discharged. Doctors say the conditions back at their home in Kisarawe District do not guarantee their survival.

The twins, who have now been named as Nyamiri (Grecious) and Telya (Precious), were born on July 12, 2018 in Vigwaza, Kisarawe, Coast region.

They were successfully separated at MNH on September 22 2018 and are still admitted at the national facility despite their good progress.

Dr Petronilla Ngiloi, a pediatric surgeon who was in the surgical team that separated them, said that there are still concerns that the house back home in Kisarawe is not conducive for twins’ survival.

“It is important for us to make sure that once the twins have been released, they have somewhere safe to go and live, they were born in the village and the environment there is not conducive for their growth and health,” said Dr Ngiloi.

Dr Ngiloi said the twins have made history for being the second set of conjoined twins to have been successfully separated in the past 24 years of MNH’s medical history.

She said the hospital would like to follow them up as they grow and attain development milestones, unlike in the previous cases of conjoined twins whom the hospital hasn’t been able to keep in touch with.

The twins’ mother, Ms Esther Simon said she has no health insurance to assure the children of better treatment in case they fall sick.

She also admitted about the unfavorable living conditions at her home. She is asking well-wishers who are touched by her story to help find health insurance and a suitable house for the twins. 

“The house we currently live in has small windows. The bed at home is made of animal skins. I would love my twins to sleep on a mattress. We kindly ask for help,’’ said the mother.