Based on the directive of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Iraqi Conjoined twins, Zainab and Ruqayah accompanied by their father and family member, arrived from Najaf to Riyadh on Friday, 25 June 2010.
Upon their arrival via Medivac, at the Riyadh Airbase, the twins were transferred by special ambulance to King Abdulaziz Medical City, National Guard Health Affairs (NGHA) and met by HE Dr. Abdullah Al Rabeeah, Head of the Multidisciplinary Team and other team members, as well as HE Ghanim Alwan Al-Jumaily, Ambassador of Iraq.
As advised by Dr. Abdullah Al Rabeeah the twins will undergo a series of clinical tests and thereafter the
Multidisciplinary team will meet to decide upon the separation. The twins are pyopagus (joined at the sacrum - base of the spine with shared rectum. The one twin has a large congenital mass on the back of her head. The tests will also reveal whether the twins share a lower spinal column and crossing nerves.
HE Dr. Abdullah Al Rabeeah, Minister of Health and HE Dr. Bandar Al Knawy, Chief Executive Officer, NGHA extend their appreciation for the generous gesture of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah whose support and humanitarian actions have changed so many lives, regardless of nationality or religion.
King Abdulaziz Medical City, NGHA is world renowned for its expertise and experience in the separation of conjoined twins. Twenty-Seven (27) successful separations have been performed on conjoined twins from 16 different countries.