Hyderabad:
From the day they were born, eight-year-old conjoined twins Veena and Vani have have lived inside a hospital. But doctors now say a hospital is not the best place for children to grow up, and with this rationale, they have asked the Andhra Pradesh government to shift out the conjoined twins out of Hyderabad's Niloufer Hospital.
"The children are growing up cut off from society. They only mingle with doctors, nurses and hospital staff. They only see disease and death. This is not healthy for their psychological development," says Dr K Ramesh Reddy, a pediatric surgeon in Hyderabad's Niloufer Hospital
It is with this concern that doctors at wrote to the children's parents who work as farm labour in Warangal. But, the parents of the children are not ready to take them back.
"Since we live in a rural area, everyone will peer at them and it will be difficult to control that. Besides, we work as labour, so it is not possible for someone to be with them all the while," says Murali, father of Veena and Vani.
The parents want the children home only after surgery and separation. But doctors say that is risky.
"Surgery is a risky option and the results are not guaranteed. So we should perhaps just let the children grow up and take the decision on it themselves," says Dr D Ranganath, Superintendent, Niloufer Hospital.
The other option could be for Veena and Vani to be sent to a government-run home.
When asked if the twins want go to school, they both said yes; while Veena says she wants to be a doctor, her twin Vani desires to be an engineer.
Veena and Vani are enthusiastic 8-year-olds, ever ready to smile. They need to go to school and need a normal social environment for their healthy psychological and emotional development.
The question is: Is our world ready to give them that?
"The children are growing up cut off from society. They only mingle with doctors, nurses and hospital staff. They only see disease and death. This is not healthy for their psychological development," says Dr K Ramesh Reddy, a pediatric surgeon in Hyderabad's Niloufer Hospital
It is with this concern that doctors at wrote to the children's parents who work as farm labour in Warangal. But, the parents of the children are not ready to take them back.
"Since we live in a rural area, everyone will peer at them and it will be difficult to control that. Besides, we work as labour, so it is not possible for someone to be with them all the while," says Murali, father of Veena and Vani.
The parents want the children home only after surgery and separation. But doctors say that is risky.
"Surgery is a risky option and the results are not guaranteed. So we should perhaps just let the children grow up and take the decision on it themselves," says Dr D Ranganath, Superintendent, Niloufer Hospital.
The other option could be for Veena and Vani to be sent to a government-run home.
When asked if the twins want go to school, they both said yes; while Veena says she wants to be a doctor, her twin Vani desires to be an engineer.
Veena and Vani are enthusiastic 8-year-olds, ever ready to smile. They need to go to school and need a normal social environment for their healthy psychological and emotional development.
The question is: Is our world ready to give them that?
Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world
