Twins Jaga, Kalia to return to Odisha 2 yrs after separation

Conjoined twins from Odisha's Kandhamal district, Jaga and Kalia, who had been undergoing treatment at AIIMS in Delhi after being separated two years ago, would return to the state on September 7, a state minister has said. A team of doctors from the AIIMS, New Delhi, along with the state government officials, will accompany the twins who will travel by train as advised in view of their health condition, Odisha Health minister Naba Kishore Das said on Thursday.

The twins, admitted at the AIIMS on July 14, 2017, will be discharged from the hospital on September 6, the minister said adding that they will travel in Rajdhani Express to Cuttack. The four-and-half-year-old twins will now get treatment at the SCB Medical College Hospital in Cuttack, Das said on Thursday.

"Expert doctors, under the supervision of neurosurgeon Sudhansu Mishra, will provide all aid to the twins at a special cabin set up for them in the S C B Medical College Hospital Cuttack," he added. SCB Medical College superintendent CBK Mohanty said they are well prepared to provide best possible treatment to the twins. The state government had earlier wanted to shift Jaga and Kalia to AIIMS, Bhubaneswar but the hospital authorities here refused to take responsibility of their treatment on the ground of lack of required facilities in AIIMS, Bhubaneswar.

Jaga and Kalia, born at Milipada village of Kandhamal district, were separated in two operations in August and October, 2017 in AIIMS, New Delhi. Ashok Mohapatra, the former chief of the neurosurgery department at AIIMS, who supervised the twins surgery in 2017, said Kalia needed special treatment.

"Jaga does not need any special care as he has recovered significantly, but Kalia might require special treatment. I am optimistic that the SCBMCH, Cuttack, can meet the requirement of the twins," Mohapatra said. He said the Jaga-Kalia surgery is a success story of Indian surgeons.

Jaga and Kalia were craniopagus conjoined twins, joined at the head PTI AAM RG RG.