President Cyril Ramaphosa has congratulated a team of specialists who successfully separated conjoined identical twin boys at Mankweng Tertiary Hospital on Tuesday, following an eight-hour operation.

The twins, who had been in intensive care since birth two months ago, were delivered via emergency caesarean section on January 28 after their mother was transferred from Maphutha Malatji District Hospital in Mopani due to a high-risk pregnancy.

Also read: Specialist team monitors Mankweng’s conjoined twins ahead of possible separation

Multidisciplinary team makes history

The Premier, Dr Phophi Ramathuba announced the successful procedure during a media briefing at the hospital, alongside Health MEC Dieketseng Mashego and lead paediatric surgeon Prof Nyaweleni Tshifularo.

Tshifularo said the case was highly complex, and that only he and an anaesthetist on the team had prior experience with such procedures.

He explained that the twins were critically ill at birth and required ventilation before being stabilised.

“Once they were stable, we conducted a series of investigations to determine how they were joined. We held multidisciplinary meetings several times a week leading up to the surgery,” he said.

The surgical team included specialists from several institutions, including the Universities of Cape Town and Witwatersrand, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, and Nelson Mandela academic institutions, as well as anaesthetists, nurses, psychologists and dietitians.

Ramaphosa hails rural hospital milestone

Ramaphosa joined the briefing via video call, praising the team’s achievement.

“The nation beams with pride. This is unbelievable and remarkable, especially for a rural hospital,” he said.

He added that such a procedure would typically be expected at leading private hospitals, describing the operation as a milestone for public healthcare.

Ramathuba said the surgery marks a historic moment for Limpopo, highlighting the province’s growing medical capabilities.

She emphasised the importance of investing in rural healthcare facilities to enable them to perform at high levels.

Premier pledges support for family

The twins remain under neonatal intensive care and are recovering.

Ramathuba also announced plans to support the family, including raising funds to build a house after assessing their living conditions.

She reiterated the province’s commitment to strengthening healthcare infrastructure, saying future developments such as the Limpopo Central Academic Hospital will further improve service delivery.