A 20-year-old Vietnamese woman gave birth to a pair of twins joined at
the torso on Wednesday, July 13.
Phan Thi Chay, who is from a poor ethnic Dao family in in the northern
mountain province of Ha Giang, was not aware she was pregnant until she
was admitted to the Vi Xuyen General Hospital to give birth.
According to Thanhnien News, after doctors diagnosed her with fetal
distress, they decided to perform a C-section and saved the conjoined
baby boys, who together weigh 4.9 kg and have separate hearts and lungs.
Nguyen Ngoc Chung, the hospital’s deputy director, said the twins have
recovered and have been taken to Hanoi for further examination. The
hospital has donated money it collected from staff and from its fund for
poor patients, he added, while calling for more donations to help the
poor mother.
Dr. Chung on Thursday, July 14 went in his doctor’s coat to a local
market to solicit donations. He said he wanted to help the poor family
though he could be censured for not seeking the hospital’s permission
first. He has so far raised around US$1,800.