Odisha CM enquires about health condition of conjoined twins

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today enquired about the health condition of conjoined twins from Kandhamal district, who underwent first phase of operation at the AIIMS, New Delhi for separation of their heads.

"Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik spoke to Dr Ashok Mohapatra over telephone in the afternoon today and enquired about the health condition of the conjoined twins," a release from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said.

Mahapatra is a Professor of Neurosurgery at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi.

Earlier Odisha'a Health and Family Welfare minister P K Jena said doctors of AIIMS, New Delhi today conducted first phase of operation on the conjoined twins - Jaga and Balia - from Kandhamal district.
 

"A 40-member team of doctors with assistance from a doctor from Japan have started operation which could take about eight hours," the minister said.

Jena said doctors including neuro surgeons, general surgeons, paediatricians, plastic surgeons and cardiologist comprised the team which is conducting the rare surgery. The operation started at 9 am today, the Health minister said.

The minister said the AIIMS doctors will perform another round of operation after success of today's surgery.

The twin brothers were admitted at the AIIMS, New Delhi with the help of state government on July 13 after initial health check-up at SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack earlier in July. Jena had visited the conjoined twons at the AIIMS, New Delhi and had assured to facilitate their treatment.

The chief minister had earlier announced 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 their one day's salary for the treatment of the conjoined 27-month old twins.

"We are praying God for the successful operation. The children were taken to the operation theatre early in the morning," the twin boys father Bhuan Kanhar said.

The conjoined twins are from Milipada village in Kandhamal district. They were earlier named as Honey and Singh but were renamed as Jaga and Balia by the doctors at AIIMS.