Conjoined twins die, hospital criticized

Eva C. Komandjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Newborn conjoined twins Ardi and Arda from Kampung Naga village in Tangerang died on Monday at Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital (RSCM) before doctors could perform surgery on them.

Ardi and Arda, who were born on Friday with the help of a midwife, were originally taken to the city-run Tangerang General Hospital for treatment. They were then transferred to RSCM.

The twins, joined at the neck and abdomen, were admitted to the RSCM's Perinatal Unit late on Friday. They were then transferred to the Children's Intensive Care Unit (ICU) as their condition worsened.

Ardi, the smaller twin, died at 12:30 a.m. on Monday, while his brother Arda died at 9 a.m.

The head of the Perinatal Unit, Idham Amir, refused comment when contacted by The Jakarta Post, referring all questions to the Children's ICU.

The hospital's public relations department said doctors could not comment until an official statement from the hospital director was issued.

Iskandar Sitorus of the Health Legal Aid Foundation (LBH Kesehatan) accused the hospital of being slow to treat the conjoined twins.

"There was no team of doctors assigned to take care of Arda and Ardi, unlike in the previous case of the conjoined twins Anggi and Anjeli. The twins did not get proper treatment from the hospital," he said.

Iskandar was referring to conjoined twins from Medan, North Sumatra, who were joined from the waist down and shared a third leg.

He said that after Ardi died, doctors caring for the twins asked the father, Sutikno, to sign a statement agreeing to an operation to separate the pair. However, before the surgery could be conducted, Arda died.

Iskandar said the twins parents had no plans to sue the hospital.