Conjoined twins sent to govt institution

Hyderabad:Thirteen-year-old conjoined twins Veena and Vani were today shifted to a state shelter home here from a hospital where they were staying for the last over ten years, as their family expressed inability to look after them.

The `Craniopagus Conjoint’ twins (born with top of their heads joined together) from Telangana’s Warangal district were born on October 15, 2003.

They were initially taken to Guntur General Hospital, from where they were shifted to Government-run Niloufer Hospital here where they were confined to a room since April 2006.

In June last year, their parents said they were unable to look after the girls because of financial circumstances, and requested state government to take care of the twins, after the hospital asked the family to take the girls home or hand them over to a state institution.

Accordingly, the twins were today shifted to the state home `Shishu Vihar’ in Yousufguda.

“The twins will take some time to get adjusted and accustomed to the new environment,” said a government official.

Several surgeons were consulted about feasibility of separating them surgically, but all of them said it would be a risky procedure.