Odisha conjoined twins Ganga-Jamuna share heart, liver; Govt to bear medical expenses

An Odisha woman on Friday gave birth to conjoined twin girls on Friday at a private hospital in state’s Nayagarh district. Doctors on Monday, after performing computed tomography (CT) scan on the newly born twins, have learnt that the duo shares a single heart and liver.

The twins have been christened Ganga and Jamuna. They are undergoing medical care at Sishu Bhavan Hospital, also known as Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Post Graduate Institute of Paediatrics (SVPPGIP) in Cuttack.

Sishu Bhawan has formed a special team of 12 doctors headed by Dr PK Jena, head of department, Paediatric Surgery Department, to provide treatment to twins.

According to doctors of the hospital, the duo is joined at the abdomen.

“CT scan reports show that the twins have one heart and a liver. We suspect that the heart is not functioning properly,” said Saroj Kumar Satpathy, head of the department of paediatrics, Shishu Bhavan.

He added, “It would be risky to separate the twins at present. A team of doctors observing them will take a call on the operation after a couple of months.”

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Odisha government on Saturday announced to bear the expenses for the treatment of the newborn conjoined twins.

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"The state government will bear the expenses for the treatment. If required they will be treated outside the state," said Health Minister Pratap Jena.