BSS-08 Maleque visits conjoined twins Rabeya, Rukaya at CMH

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ZCZC

BSS-08

MALEQUE-CONJOINED-KIDS

Maleque visits conjoined twins Rabeya, Rukaya at CMH

DHAKA, Aug 13, 2019 (BSS) – Health Minister Zahid Maleque today visited conjoined twins –

Rabeya and Rukaya — at the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) here.

Health Services Division Secretary Asadul Islam and Director General of Directorate General

of Health Services (DGHS) Abul Kalam Azad were present on the occasion.

The conjoined twins were separated after a successful 33-hour operation at the Combined

Military Hospital (CMH) on August 2.

The operation was carried out with the support of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and

Defenceless People Foundation (ADPF), an agency of the Hungarian government.

At a briefing at CHM, the health minister said the operation of the conjoined twins was very

rare one in the world. Only 17 such operations were carried out in the world so far and the

operation of Rabeya and Rukaya was first in the entire Asia, he added.

Maleque said it was a great success of the country’s health sector. Some 100 physicians and

nurses – 30 from Hungary and 70 others from Bangladesh – took part in the operation.

He said among the two kids, Rabeya is now completely fit but Rukaya could not regain her

sense yet.

But, the minister said, Rukaya is taking breath and her condition is quite better now.

Earlier twins were sent to Hungary for treatment and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina bore their

entire treatment cost at home and abroad.

The three and half years old twins, who were born with joint heads, suffered from a rare

embryological disorder affecting an estimated one in every five to six million births. They hail

from Chatmohor upazila in Pabna.

BSS/pr/MKD/SMM/1720