Dhaka – After 40 days of their separation, the much-discussed twins Tofa and Tahura were given release from Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) on Sunday with an assurance of a job for their poor father.Minister for Health and Family Welfare Mohammed Nasim at a function handed over the discharge card to Raju Miah, father of the twin girls and saw them off from the hospital.
Wearing new dresses Tofa and Tohura along with their present left Dhaka at about 4:00pm for their village home at Sundarganj in Gaibandha, a northern district, by an ambulance.
Earlier on August 1, the conjoined twins have successfully been separated through a nine hour long surgery at the DMCH after 10 months of their born in the village of Dohbon in the district.
The Health Minister wished that they live happily and well with standardized medicare.
On behalf of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the countrymen, he greeted the physician team who conducted the complex surgery to separate the twins, who were joined from back to below their waist and shared single anus.
“Our doctors are working and showing their brilliance despite shortage of beds, modern equipments and pressure of patients,” said the Minister.
Prof Dr Shahnoor Islam, head of paediatrics surgery unit of the DMCH, who led the surgery, said the successful operation of Tofa and Tahura was a result of combined efforts of all including doctors and nurses of the hospital.
“Tofa and Tahura are now doing well and taking normal food. They have started behaving normally and sitting on their own. They may need two more surgeries that also carries risk,” she said.
The function held at meeting room of the DMCH director was informed that a joint account (No. 13915173740) was opened with Imamganj branch of Dutch-Bangla Bank so that well-off people can extend their cooperation the poor family.
The Health Minister called upon the well-off people to come forward to support the Tofa-Tahura’s family.
The doctors who conducted the surgery of the twins offered new dresses for the Tofa Tahura and their parents—Raju Miah and Shahida.
As many as 16 physicians of Dhaka Medical College Hospital took part in the operation on Tofa and Tahura, the first of such surgery carried out in Bangladesh.
Prof Dr Abul Kalam Azad, director of Burn and Plastic Surgery Unit of the DMCH said this was a rare pattern of ‘Pygopagus’ twins. Some 14 such twins were born in the world. Of the previous 13 cases, 60 per cent have died due to post operation complications.
“It was a pleasure for us to see them off with smiles,” he said.
Health secretary Sirajul Haque Khan, Sirajul Islam and DMCH director Brig Gen AKM Nasiruddin, among others, also spoke on the occasion. – Staff Reporter
