'MP govt to bear medical expenses of separated twins for life'

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Madhya Pradesh government on Monday announced to bear for lifetime all the medical expenses of Aradhana and Stuti, the Siamese twins, who were separated through a surgery last month.

Calling the twin girls as ‘daughters of Madhya Pradesh’, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan made this announcement here on Monday.

"Both Stuti and Aradhana are daughters of Madhya Pradesh and the state would bear for lifetime all their medical expenses," Chouhan said.

The girls celebrated their first birthday on Monday after a successful surgery on June 20.

The Padhar Hospital made elaborate arrangements to celebrate the birthday and the chief minister took part in the cake-cutting ceremony. However, while Stuti is doing well, Aradhana could not take part in the celebrations as she is on a ventilator at the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), hospital sources said.

Stuti has started taking food and her vital parameters are fine, they added. Number of children carrying 'Get Well Soon' cards gathered in the hospital to greet the twins.

Chouhan also visited the PICU to inquire about Aradhana's health. On the occasion, Chouhan honoured the team of doctors and other staff that successfully performed nearly 13-hour long critical surgery.

Madhya Pradesh Government had given an assistance of Rs 20 lakh to the hospital for performing the critical surgery of the conjoined twins. Chouhan also announced to relax the rules of the ambitious 'Ladli-Laxmi Yojana', so that the two girls can benefit from the welfare scheme.

The duo was admitted to the hospital merely ten minutes after their birth on May 11 this year and by the time they were stable, their parents decided to donate them to the hospital, as they were not in a position to take care of the twins, joined at heart and liver.

The twins were successfully separated after a day-long complex surgery conducted by a team of 34 medical experts, including 23 doctors from India and abroad.