POMGEN YET TO ISSUE REFERRAL FOR CONJOINED TWINS
BY RAYLEEN WANJIMAN
PORT Moresby General Hospital Chief Executive Officer Dr. Paki Molumi says no referral has been issued yet for the conjoined twins since they were medevacked from Angau Hospital in Lae on October 15th.
Dr. Paki Molumi says the decision is based on medical advice and ongoing clinical assessments.
He explained that the twins are only a few weeks old and weigh less than three kilograms, making any referral or surgical procedure too risky at this stage.
He added that while POMGEN has not made any overseas referral, it is open to support from any organization or partner willing to assist.
The hospital maintains that its priority is the immediate care and stabilization of the twins before any further action is considered.
Dr Molumi also explained following the extensive consultations, medical examinations, and assessments by multidisciplinary clinical team, both infants were found to have complex congenital anomalies.
According to the clinical findings, one of the twins has a single kidney, hypo plastic lungs, a severe congenital heart defect; they both share a liver, urinary bladder and portions of gastrointestinal tract and spinal dysraphism noted on the CT scans of the twins.
“These anomalies are significant and even within a highly specialised surgical and intensive care setting; the outcome remains the extremely guarded, with a high likelihood of fatality for one or both infants,” Dr. Molumi stated.
Dr. Molumi said the babies are being cared for in the hospital’s specialized unit under close supervision until they are strong enough for possible medical decisions or referral options.
