RIYADH, 1 May 2007 — Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah paid a surprise visit to the King Abdulaziz Medical City (KAMC) yesterday to see the recently separated Cameroonian conjoined twins, Phambom and Shefbou, who underwent surgery on April 21.
In response to a request made by the parents of the twins, James Akumpu and Emmevena Nyamale, the king directed the hospital to perform the separation surgery at his expense. The parents’ airfare, pre- and post surgery expenses and their stay in the Kingdom are being borne by the king.
The twins, who were born in February last year, were joined at the area of the chest, abdomen and pelvis and each of them had a single lower limb but they shared a third one.
The king expressed happiness at the rapid recovery of the twins following the surgery and he said he was happy that the Kingdom was able to help the distressed couple. The father of the twins, Akumpu thanked King Abdullah for his magnanimity in issuing the royal decree for the separation.
Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, head of the surgical team and chief executive officer of KAMC, and other members of the multidisciplinary medical team that carried out the operation received the king on his arrival at KAMC. Dr. Hala Al-Alam, chief pediatrician, received the king at the intensive care unit where the separated twins are warded.
“The surgeons have removed the artificial respirator from Shefbou and have been feeding her since Saturday. Phambom will commence feeding shortly as soon as the respirator is removed from her,” Al-Rabeeah told Arab News.
Since 1990, a total of 12 surgeries for separation of conjoined twins have been performed at KAMC: three pairs from the Kingdom, two from Sudan and one each from Malaysia, Egypt, the Philippines, Poland, Morocco, Oman and Iraq.
