Nembe to Yola to split Grace from Mercy

How Bayelsa conjoined twins, considered monsters in their village, were separated in Yola Since they were born, conjoined twins Mercy and Grace were considered monsters in their native Nembe in Bayelsa State. The family travelled to the Federal Medical Centre, Yola, where a team of about 50 medical professionals have given the twins a new […]

• How Bayelsa conjoined twins, considered monsters in their village, were separated in Yola

Since they were born, conjoined twins Mercy and Grace were considered monsters in their native Nembe in Bayelsa State. The family travelled to the Federal Medical Centre, Yola, where a team of about 50 medical professionals have given the twins a new lease of life.

Professor Awwal Abubakar, the Medical Director of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Yola, looked at the 49 men and women before him, perhaps, in the same manner, a general would look at his troops before they charge into battle.

But this 49 were not going to kill anyone, they were preparing for a complex surgery to separate a set of conjoined twins, Mercy and Grace.

As the lead surgeon, Prof. Abubakar addressed members of his team comprising surgeons, consultant anaesthetists, nurses, laboratory consultant and scientists, radiologist, cleaners, and staff from the hospital’s information unit, among others.

In his usual unassuming posture, the professor emphasised teamwork, professionalism and accuracy, reminding them that every member of the team is as important as the others.

“In surgery, a cleaner is as important as the lead surgeon,” the Medical Director would later tell Daily Trust.

He is not new to this. Four times before he had performed similar surgeries on conjoined twins, twice at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital in Borno.

At the FMC Yola, Prof. Abubakar has undertaken two such surgeries before. Once in 2013 as a visiting consultant and again in 2018 after he was appointed the Medical Director when he led the surgery on a set of female twins born to internally displaced parents from Borno State.

The team recorded some improvement compared to previous times as the surgery was faster, taking only three hours.

Speaking after the surgery, Professor Abubakar said this time, the team had to contend with the challenges of COVID-19. There was a debate about whether each member of the team should be quarantined before the surgery. In the end, they decided to work strictly per the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) guidelines.

Three days after the operation, the separated sisters started playing and with no complication recorded, were discharged from the intensive care unit on the fifth day.

The operation gave hope to twins, Mercy and Grace, from far away Nembe, in Bayelsa State, freeing their parents from stigmatisation in their community where they were seen as monsters.

The sight of the twins, at first was such a shock that even their mother, Mrs Ayebaekipreye Ebinyefa, after she was delivered of them through Caesarean Section, took one look at them and fainted.

“Mhmm! As a mum, I was scared. I felt bad because I was the first person to give birth to conjoined twins in my community in Bayelsa State,” she said. “The insults I have been receiving from people made me even ashamed of myself. But now I am happy the operation has been successful and today, we are going home.”

She thanked the management of FMC Yola for their generosity, without which the operation wouldn’t have been possible.

Professor Abubakar told journalists during a press conference that the hospital’s management sponsored the surgery free of charge and paid for all the treatment and living expenses of the family throughout their stay since January.

He, however, called on the Federal and Bayelsa State government to assist the parents

“Both parents are secondary school leavers and unemployed. We want the federal and Bayelsa State governments to assist them,” he said.

He said after the management of the Federal Medical Center, Yenogoa in Bayelsa State contacted the Yola hospital for possible separation, transporting the babies to Yola became a problem until the Nigerian Air Force offered to fly them in one of their aircrafts. He, therefore, extended his appreciation to the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar.

He said the NAF intervention was critical because taking a commercial plane was not a good option for conjoined twins due to the attention they could attract and the psychological effect on the parents.

“At this junction, we want to appreciate the NAF especially the Chief of Air Staff for airlifting them,” he said.

“For this hospital, this is the third of such separations. The separation of conjoined twins in this country dates back to 1936 when a colonial officer separated a set in Sokoto and since then, there have been a number in many centres in Zaria, Enugu, Ife and recently in Gwagwalada and in Keffi,” he said.

He noted that Nigeria has the manpower and potentials to drive the health sector but health care financing remains a major drawback.

Calling for collaboration between public and private sectors in improving health care in the country, the medical director disclosed that some of the equipment used in the separation was part of the recent donation from the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas company (NLNG).

“One of the machines donated by the NLNG made division of liver easier, faster and with less blood loss,” he said in an address during a ceremony held at the hospital on Saturday to celebrate the successful surgery.

President Muhammadu Buhari, who was represented by the Secretary to the Federal Government, Boss Mustapha, congratulated the board and management of the hospital, Professor Awwal Abubakar and his team of experts for making Nigerians proud, saying their effort showed the great potential of the Nigerian health sector.

He assured the FMC Yola management of federal government’s support in the drive to transform the hospital into a world-class facility for better service delivery.

Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, represented by his Chief of Staff, Professor Maxwell Gidado reiterated the state government’s commitment in improving the health sector, saying the administration had employed more than one thousand workers and improved welfare for greater service delivery in the state.

For Grace and Mercy, this surgery will make all the difference in their lives and give them the chance to live normal lives. For now, that is all they could ask for.