Medical team to examine Bihar conjoined twins formed: Centre to SC

The Centre today told the Supreme Court that it had constituted a three-member expert medical team to examine and provide medical aid to the two teenaged conjoined twins from Bihar.

The Centre on Friday told the Supreme Court that it had constituted a three-member expert medical team to examine and provide medical aid to the two teenaged conjoined twins from Bihar.

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Subsequent to a notice, additional solicitor general Indira Jaisingh appeared before a bench of justice KS Radhakrishnan and justice Dipak Misra and said the team would comprise two expert paediatricians from AIIMS, Minoo Bajpai and AK Bisoi, besides Dr Mukul Verma of Apollo Hospital.

Jaisingh said Verma was made the member of the team as conjoint expert Dr Benjamin Carson, who had examined the twins, was based in the USA and unavailable.

Taking cognizance of the Jaisingh's submission, the bench asked her to file a report within two weeks.

SC also directed Bihar government to locate the whereabouts of the twins and assist the Centre's team in providing aids and assistance to the girls.

On a petition filed by a second year law student the bench had on July 16 issued notice to the Centre to provide treatment to the 16-year-old conjoined twins Saba and Farah Saleem from Bihar.

The public interest litigation (PIL), based on an HT report, highlighted the acute agony suffered by the twins due to their worsening medical condition. The petition pointed out that the girls' pain would shock anybody's conscience.

Quoting the HT report, the petition filed through counsel Ravi Prakash Gupta, had said the two grown up girls born as twins joined at the head are undergoing immense pain and are unable to even sleep due to consistent acute pain.

It sought medical aid for the twins at government's expenditure, the PIL said if it wasn't possible to treat them, the parents should be permitted to adopt "mercy killing".

Saba and Farah have been bedridden and are experiencing persistent, acute agony and distress and are neither able to sleep adequately nor get up from their bed and this has made their lives miserable, said the petition.