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Herald Reporters
The Siamese twins who were successfully operated on at Harare Children’s Hospital recently are responding well to treatment although they are still admitted in the Intensive Care Unit.The father of the twins, David Chitiyo (44) told The Herald on Wednesday that doctors had informed him that his children were doing well, but was not told when they would be discharged. “My children are still at Harare Children Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit and their mother is breastfeeding them. Their wounds are healing, but the doctors said so far no one knew when the twins would come out of the intensive care because according to the doctors it is something new to them.”

Paediatric surgeon Mr Bothwell Mbuvayesango, who led the team which operated on the babies, said they were still monitoring them in the ICU.

“They are responding well to treatment. Their wounds are shrinking, a good sign of recovery,” said Mr Mbuvayesango.

Asked weather they were still going to do skin grafting on the babies‘ abdomen from which they were separated as previously planned, Mr Mbuvayesango said it might not be necessary considering the way the wounds were healing.

“We are taking things as they come as we continue monitoring their recovery. Some procedures might no longer be necessary,” he said. A team of 50 local doctors successfully operated on the Siamese twins Kupakwashe and Tapiwanashe.

They were born on April 22. The operation was the first of its kind to be performed by local surgeons.

President Mugabe and First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe visited the twins and commended the team for the medical breakthrough.