By Joseph Adahnu, Yola
Modibbo Adama University Teaching Hospital (MAUTH) Yola, has made another successful historic event for separating conjoined twins in Adamawa state.
In a press conference, the Chief Paediatric surgeon, Professor Abubakar Auwal, disclosed this during the discharging ceremony of a newly separated set of twins.
According to Auwal, the latest procedure marked the sixth successful separation since 2013, when the hospital performed its first operation of such nature.
Explaining further, he said the twins were joined at the abdominal region and were successfully separated without complications. The surgeon noted that Nigeria recorded its first conjoined twins separation in 1936 in Sokoto, adding that several successful procedures had since been carried out across the country.
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He called for increased government investment in healthcare, especially in funding, training, infrastructure and professional collaboration, to sustain such advanced medical procedures.
Surgeon Auwal said improved support would help reduce medical tourism and address the shortage of young doctors caused by migration, popularly known as the “Japa” syndrome.
That the hospital provided the recent surgery free of charge, covering surgery, drugs and admission, saying that the cost runs into millions of naira, he said. The surgeon commended staff of the paediatric, radiology and nursing units for their roles in ensuring accurate diagnosis and successful surgery.
However, Prof. Auwal said the twins mother died shortly after delivery, before the surgery was successfully carried out
In a remarks so the briefing, the chief medical director MAUTH, Prof. Adamu Bakari, lauded the efforts of the medical team and reaffirmed the hospital’s commitment to quality healthcare delivery.
Following the mass improvement, Bakari said MAUTH had expanded from a 100-bed facility in 1999 to over 800 beds, with advanced diagnostic equipment, including CT and MRI services.
Also that the hospital now attracts patients from across the country for complex paediatric surgeries, reinforcing its status as a centre of excellence in the North-East.
The CMD therefore called for sustained support from government and stakeholders to enhance service delivery and maintain comprehensive in-house care.
Also speaking, the twins’ grandfather, Mr Jibir Adamu, expressed gratitude to the hospital for providing free treatment and saving the lives of the children.
