Medical doctors are set to perform the first local separation of twins conjoined at the head next month.

A team of 166 specialists, pooled both local and internationally, are still engaging to facilitate the process.

The Minister of Health, Mr. Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, said the government had made available funds needed to start the procurement of equipment and commodities needed for the surgery as promised by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

The minister made that known when he joined an NGO, New Africa Foundation, to present a two-year rented five-bedroom house to the family of the twins to enable them move from Nsawam to Accra as they pursue medical care for the twins.

He expressed gratitude to the organisation for the gesture.

“What the foundation has done is a demonstration of how Ghanaians would want to care for those who are vulnerable,” Mr. Agyeman-Manu said.

Recount

The conjoined twins were delivered at Nsawam on March 30, 2021, but were transferred to the Greater Accra Regional Hospital immediately for the necessary medical interventions that would lead to their separation.

The Greater Accra Regional Director of Health Services, Dr. Mrs. Charity Sarpong, said since March 2020, the technical team of specialists from all over the country had been collaborating with international medical specialists in preparations towards the scheduled September separation procedure.

“We hope to see a very successful operation,” she said.

She said there had been a lot of support trickling in for both the family and the medical team.

“We are all aware of what the President did, promising that they would help with all medical bills for separating the conjoined twins. I must say that the general public has also been very supportive, and today we are here for another very important purpose,” she said.

Why Accommodation

The Head of the foundation, Nana Kwame Bediako, said the specific support was to provide the appropriate environment for the family to deal with the psychological and other issues concerning the children’s care.

The family live in a one-bedroom house at Nsawam in the Eastern Region.

“We also consulted the medical team on our intention to provide the family with an accommodation, and they told us that if we could find accommodation closer to the Ridge Hospital of about two or three minutes away, it would be beneficial because over the next few months to years, the hospital is going to be their part-time home because the twins would need medical care after the separation for some time,” he said.

He said the foundation would consider the next step after the two-year rent period.

Mr. Bediako called the twins a blessing to their family because they had brought so much positive attention and support to their parents.