Woman delivers conjoined twins in Lilongwe

A woman has delivered conjoined twins at Bwaila Maternity Hospital in Lilongwe.

The babies, all girls, were born early morning on Tuesday.

According to specialists at the hospital, the two babies appear to have independent systems.

“This is a manageable case because the babies have independent systems but the final position depends on the surgeons’ final assessment,” said Alvin Phiri, spokesperson for Lilongwe District Health Office.

He further said the twins are expected to be referred to Ethel Mutharika Maternity Wing at Kamuzu Central Hospital where they are expected to have the surgeons’ attention.

The mother of the twins, 23-year-old Mercy N’dala-Mbeye, said she has confidence that the hospital will address the problem of the condition of her children.

“I am hoping that the hospital will be able to assist my children accordingly,” she said.

N’dala-Mbeye has given birth twice previously but it is only now that she has given birth to twins.

But her elder sister has given birth to twins five times and she has ten children, she said.

Mother in-law to Ndala- Mbeye, who is also a Traditional Birth Attendant (TBA), Maureen Iwombe, said this is a strange occurrence to her but said she has faith in God and the hospital personnel to successfully separate the babies.

“Throughout the 29 years I have been a TBA I have never encountered a case such as this one, however I have received and accepted this as a gift from God,” she said.

Last month, another woman also gave birth to conjoined babies at Kamuzu Central Hospital.

That came after another case in Thyolo where Siamese twins were also born in December last year at Thyolo District Hospital.