The Secretary to the Government of the
Federation (SGF), Mr. Boss Mustapha, has
celebrated the Federal Medical Centre (FMC)
in Yola, Adamawa State, and the Chief
Medical Director (CMD), Prof Awwal
Muhammad Abubakar, following the
successful separation of conjoined twins.
The SGF made the announcement over the
weekend at an occasion organised in Yola
to celebrate the CMD, who is also the lead
surgeon, and the hospital for successfully
carrying out the separation of the
conjoined twins.
Mustapha noted that the success has
made Adamawa State and the hospital
proud as a centre for medical excellence in
the country.
He said since the inception of the FMC, the
hospital has separated conjoined twins in
2013, 2018 and 2020, adding that this
makes it the fifth time the CMD, Prof
Awwal, has separated conjoined twins in
his career, and he needs to be honoured.
“l will try to talk to the federal government
so that we can honour you; surely your
labour will not go in vein,” he said.
Mustapha urged Nigerians to always
express love to one another and shun any
divisive tendency, adding that the fact that
conjoined twins born in the Niger Delta
came to Yola to receive free treatment,
shows an unprecedented love extended
by one Nigerian to another irrespective of
any difference.
He noted that such spirit must underpin
how Nigerians should relate.
The SGF commended the Chief of Air Staff,
Air Mashal Abubakar Sadiq, for airlifting
the conjoined twins who were born in
Beyalsa State to Yola to receive the free
treatment.
Shortly after the occasion, Prof. Auwal
revealed to journalists that Grace and
Mercy, the eight months old set of female
omphalopagus twins, were delivered by
Caesarean section at the General Hospital
in Nembe, Bayelsa State, on December 25,
2019, with a combined birth weight of
5.8kg, shared a single umbilical cord and
were joined from the mid thorax to the
mid-abdomen with a fused liver.
He said the twins were earlier managed at
FMC in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, before
being transferred to the FMC in Yola,
Adamawa State, on January 4, 2020, to be
separated.
Meanwhile, the Chief Medical Director of
FMC Yenagoa, Dr. Dennis Alagoa, said while
receiving the babies on arrival at Bayelsa
International Airport on Sunday disclosed
that a team of pediatric surgeons and
healthcare personnel from the two
medical institutions collaborated to
achieve the feat while the Nigerian Air
Force provided logistics for medical
evacuation from Yenagoa to Yola.
“We applaud the Chief of Air Staff, Air
Abubakar, for his swift intervention by
making avaliable the aircraft and logistics
for medical evacuation of the babies
alongside their parents and medical team
to and from Yola.
On arrival in Yenagoa, the Deputy
Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator
Lawrence Ewhrujakpo, donated the sum
of N1 million to the parents of the babies.

Source: https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2020/08/31/sgf-celebrates-fmc-yola-for-successful-separation-of-conjoined-twins-from-bayelsa/