Ramaphosa hails ‘miracle’ twins’ surgery in Limpopo hospital

President Cyril Ramaphosa has praised doctors in Limpopo as “miracle workers” after the successful separation of conjoined twins at a rural hospital — a feat he says signals the future of public healthcare in the province.

In a video shared by Limpopo premier Phophi Ramathuba, Ramaphosa congratulated Prof Nyaweleni Tshifularo and his multidisciplinary team for the complex operation carried out at Mankweng Hospital outside Polokwane.

“You are real miracle workers; you are our heroes throughout the country. I just wanted to congratulate you all for this unbelievable, miraculous operation that you did on the two-month-old babies, [separating] them in a rural hospital. I say ‘rural’ advisedly because it’s in Mankweng, which is the village next to the university that I went to,” said Ramaphosa.

The twins, born on January 28, underwent an intricate eight-hour surgery led by Tshifularo.

Ramaphosa noted that such an operation would ordinarily be performed at leading institutions such as Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town, famously associated with the world’s first heart transplant by Dr Christiaan Barnard.

“I am so pleased and happy that you’ve undertaken a very complicated operation that would normally be done at top-class hospitals like Groote Schuur,” he said.

Speaking at a media briefing on Tuesday, Ramathuba described the operation as a historic moment.

“For the first time in South Africa, a rural hospital has accomplished such a high-scale operation. This achievement changes the landscape of healthcare in our province and reaffirms our belief in the potential of rural hospitals,” she said.

Ramathuba said the twins’ journey began at a district facility, where medical staff quickly identified complications. She praised healthcare workers at Maphutha Malatji Hospital for detecting the condition through ultrasound and transferring the mother to Mankweng Hospital.

“When the mother presented to them, they had no history. They were able to pick it up and immediately transferred her,” she said.

She said the babies were delivered under an hour after arrival at Mankweng Hospital on January 28.

After their birth, the twins required ventilation, Tshifularo told the news conference. “It was an emergency … they were very sick.“

Tshifularo said the twins, whom he referred to as Baby A and Baby K, had shared vital organs.

“The babies were joined by the trunk, meaning the body. There were organs that were joined, we had to separate and make them share, and that is a complex surgery, but we delivered,” he said.

Tshifularo said the operation was the result of weeks of planning and co-ordination by a multidisciplinary team, including paediatricians, surgeons, plastic surgeons, anaesthetists, nurses, psychologists, dieticians and social workers.

The team held weekly meetings, conducted dry runs and collaborated with institutions such as the University of Cape Town, Wits University, Nelson Mandela University and Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University.

“When I assessed them, I said we’ve got what it takes to do this. It took us seven meetings and dry runs to make sure everything is in place,” he said.

Tshifularo said the procedure itself began early in the morning after a moment of prayer and concluded after eight hours in theatre.

“We started early with the visitation from the head office at [7am] and at that time we had pastoral care [that] would really strengthen us. They prayed and gave us strength. [At] 7.45am we started and then by [3.10pm] we were done. Took us eight hours,” he said.

Ramathuba said: “The babies were fully separated and are currently in a stable condition with good haemodynamic status.”

The twins remain in the neonatal intensive care unit, where they are being closely monitored and supported with ventilation.

Ramathuba said that the provincial government has pledged ongoing support to the twins and their mother. “We have committed to ensuring that they have the assistance they need, including plans to build a house,” she said.

The premier, who has worked as a doctor, used the occasion to advocate for increased investment in public healthcare.

“This is proof that if we invest in public healthcare, a lot can be done. Continuously funding private healthcare at the expense of public healthcare is what is killing the system in our country,” she said.

Ramaphosa linked the surgical breakthrough to broader healthcare development.

“That’s why we are building you an academic hospital right there. I’m glad that it’s happening as an academic hospital to the university I went to,” he said, referring to the University of Limpopo, formerly known as the University of the North (Turfloop).

The Limpopo Central Academic Hospital, announced during Ramaphosa’s state of the nation address (Sona), is under construction in Polokwane and is expected to become a flagship facility in the province this month. The state-of-the-art hospital will have 488 beds and offer specialised services, including surgery, trauma care, oncology, gynaecology, neonatal care and emergency medicine.

It will also be integrated with the university’s health sciences faculty to strengthen training and attract specialists. The facility is expected to reduce the need for patients to travel to Gauteng for advanced medical care.

Ramathuba called for a shift in narrative around public hospitals.

“Mankweng Hospital has proven that when doctors ask for resources and we provide them, they will deliver,” she said.

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