The future of conjoined twins Veena and Vani has become a big question. Government has not decided or given any orders to shift the girl to the state home. Sources at the Niloufer Hospital are concerned over this. They said that “the girls have attained puberty and need to be moved out soon.”

Previously the twin’s parents from Warangal made it clear that they cannot take Veena and Vani back home as they already had two older daughters who needed to be taken care of.

"Even visiting Veena and Vani once in two to three months in Hyderabad is difficult as it puts a financial strain on us. In such a situation, how can we take them home?" asked Murali in his representation. Twins father Murali is an auto driver, who drives a leased vehicle. He said “his meager income was not enough to meet the twins' needs. In case authorities think that Veena and Vani would be better off living with us, we request the government to provide me a job and a house to live in Hyderabad".

Murali's earns Rs 300 a day. His wife, for her part, said, "I earn Rs 80 to Rs 100 a day working as a daily wage labourer under NREGS scheme at our village. How can I feed four children with this money?"

The doctors of AIIMS hospital in Delhi also declared that the girls cannot be separated as is 50 per cent chance. They also added that after the surgery one of the twins might even die or get paralyzed. So, the surgery aspect was ruled out. After that the girl’s parents refused to take them home when Niloufer Hospital doctors asked them to move out.

Hospital authorities have refused to confirm it. According to the authorities it is purely government’s side to decide the future of the twins.

A senior health official at the hospital said, “Shifting of the girls has been declared but when it is actually carried out is not known.

“The doctors too are not clear as there is no communication from the government. They state that while the orders have to come from the government there has not been any such move.”

On the other hand, the health department officials state that “the superintendent has to send the proposal to the department and from there it will be taken forward. In this bureaucratic tangle, the girls are still in the hospital. There are round the clock nurses, teachers and ayahs taking care of them but need a good environment of a family home or a state home to protect and take care of them.Their parents came to the city to find out their condition and asked the government about the future course of action.”

Father Maragani Murali says, “We have waited for very long. What is the course of action now? If they are to be shifted when will that be done?”

Also Read: Conjoined Twins Veena-Vani's Parents Approach Govt

BY M.DIVYA SRI