Riddhi and Siddhi were separated on January 17, 2014, and have since been recuperating in a special room of the paediatric ward. Both the girls are healthy, although one of them requires a corrective surgery to stand on her feet.
Ward No. 21, also known as the Bear Ward of BJ Wadia Hospital, has become the permanent address for Riddhi and Siddhi, the conjoined twins who were separated there and turned three last week. Born to a couple from Panvel on May 6, 2013, the girls comprise the 6% who fall under the Ischiopagus twins category, where twins are conjoined at 180 degrees, making it impossible for them to walk.
Riddhi and Siddhi were separated on January 17, 2014, and have since been recuperating in a special room of the paediatric ward. Both the girls are healthy, although one of them requires a corrective surgery to stand on her feet.
The twins' father is a daily-wage labourer at a construction site and cannot afford the treatment cost. Both the girls need physiotherapy and speech therapy; expenses of which have been borne by the hospital authorities.
"The twins are very popular in our hospital. The entire staff knows about Riddhi-Siddhi. We are ready to bear all the expenses till they become fit. When they were brought to the hospital, they shared a common uterus and urinary bladder, which the surgeons deftly cut into halves. Our team of 20 doctors, including paediatric surgeons, neonatologists, plastic surgeons, orthopaedic surgeons and anaesthesiologists, have been involved in the process," said Dr Mini Bodhanwala, CEO at Wadia Hospital.
"There is a different kind of bonding we have with these girls. We pray for their speedy recovery so that they can walk on their own feet," she added.
The hospital's nursing staff is taking utmost care of them. According to the administration, they are the longest staying patients and will be kept there till their full rehabilitation. The nurses of the entire hospital visit them and inquire about their health.
"These twins are not just patients for us, they are a part of our family. We are hit by a sense of familiarity when we enter this room; it's like visiting relatives. Even the CEO visits them daily to talk to them and to ensure that everything is being taken care of," said Asha Mahajan, matron of the hospital.
"Apart from nursing care, the administration has also appointed a full-time caretaker who resides in the same room. If the children need any medical attention, the nursing staff and doctors are called immediately," she added.
May 12 is celebrated as International Nurse Day across the world to mark selfless contributions that nurses make to the society.
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