SC seeks report of expert panel which examined conjoined twins

New Delhi: The Centre was asked on Monday by the Supreme Court to place before it within two days the report of an expert committee which examined the conjoined twins of Bihar for providing medical aid.

A bench of Justices KS Radhakrishnan and Dipak Misra was not happy with the Centre which failed to place the report of the specially-constituted AIIMS team and posted the matter for hearing on November 2. The bench told Additional Solicitor General Siddharth Luthra that there was a specific order that the team would visit Patna to examine the present condition of the conjoined twins and the Centre would submit the report to it for rendering medical aid. When the ASG told the court that the twins` parents are reluctant to operation, the bench said the question of further treatment and their consent would arise after the report is placed before it. The apex court had directed for examining the conjoined twins after taking note of a letter written by the girls` mother expressing fear that if the twins were air lifted to Delhi for treatment it could pose a threat to their lives. She had submitted in the letter that the girls` condition had deteriorated about four years ago after they had been brought to a private hospital in the national capital. The girls were subsequently taken back to Patna. The letter written in Hindi had also urged the apex court to direct the government to sanction a monthly maintenance for 16-year-old conjoined twins Saba and Farah Saleem. In pursuance to the apex court`s direction, the Centre had earlier constituted a 3-member expert medical team comprising two paediatricians from AIIMS, Minoo Bajpai and AK Bisoi, besides Dr Mukul Verma of Apollo Hospital. PTI