Twins decision angers doctors

By Sola Odunfa
BBC, Lagos

Nigerian doctors say they have the skills to perform operations locally

Nigerian doctors are heading for a confrontation with their government over a decision to send Siamese twins to an American hospital for an operation to separate them.

They say that the decision puts into question their professional skills and the availability of the necessary facilities to undertake such an operation locally.

The Siamese twins were born to Mr and Mrs Abayomi Sobowale-Davies in a Lagos hospital on 17 July 2003.

They are conjoined in the abdomen and although they have two livers, doctors say the livers are also joined.

But the Nigerian doctors argue that there are no special circumstances to warrant the government sending the Siamese twins to John Hopkins University teaching hospital for an operation to separate them.

We have to consider national pride and it is not enough for us go abroad and seek help each time we have a back ache or a tummy ache Chris Bode University of Lagos teaching hospital

Mr Chris Bode, a paediatric surgeon at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, told me several similar Siamese twins had been successfully separated in Nigerian hospitals.

"A set of twins from Warri were successfully separated by Professor Akin Bankole in the 1960s," said Mr Bode.

"And since then, Professor Festus Nwakwo has also successfully separated Siamese twins in Enugu."

National pride

Given that track record of more than 30 years, Mr Bode said Nigerian doctors and hospitals have proved that they deserve to be considered first in any decision regarding the management of the Siamese twins.

"We have to consider national pride and it is not enough for us go abroad and seek help each time we have a back ache or a tummy ache."

But Mr and Mrs Sobowale-Davies, the parents of the twins, will not be drawn into the argument.

All they desire is the successful separation of their babies.