They died at the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital where they had been taken to for a 24-hour clinical medical care after they had been successfully separated in a 12-hour operation.
While one of the twins died just after midnight on Thursday, the other died around 9 a.m. the same day.
Prior to the twins’ death, the medical officers had described their situation as very critical and, therefore, provided emergency medical care, hoping to stabilise their conditions.
Their death, less than two days after the successful operation, has traumatised the doctors, who spent over 12 hours to separate them.
According to the Head of the Pediatric Unit at KATH, Dr Boateng Nimako, who was also one of the doctors who participated in the operation, one of the twins had a hole-in-heart condition and some deformities.
He said the twin with hole-in-heart and deformities was the first to die, while the other died some hours later.
Dr Nimako said since the twins had a common abdomen, pelvis, intestines and liver, the operation had been very delicate.
In view of the expected complications after the operation, Dr Nimako said, the team made provision for 24-hour medical care to stabilise the conditions of the twins.
The Siamese twins were born three months ago but were not in stable conditions to enable medical officers to carry out the surgical operation at that time, hence the delay .
The news of the birth of the Siamese twins was first carried by Joy FM, which called for public support for the mother of the twins to raise funds for the operation.
The MTN Foundation responded by donating GH¢20,000, while an appeal by the radio station also raised GH¢12,000.
Earlier on Wednesday, Dr Nimako had told the Daily Graphic that the successful separation of the Siamese twins at KATH was the third time that such a feat had been achieved at the hospital.
The first one was performed by the late Professor Nii Amon Kotei and his team about 10 years ago and the second one was around 2005.
The Siamese twins who were separated in the past are all alive.
Dr Nimako said medical officers at KATH had the expertise to perform such operations locally but underscored the need for them to be adequately resourced for them to carry out such clinical care for those who might need it in future.
He, therefore, called for public support, saying, “People believe in the health care we are providing and, with public support, we can achieve a lot.”
Story by George Ernest Asare
