Samaritans from Germany come to twins' rescue

BY MANISH GAUTAM

KATHMANDU, AUG 10 : Twins born in Rukum and flown to Kathmandu by two German ladies have found an organisation which has expressed its commitment to take care for them, at least for the time being. The organisation is Human Development and Community Service (HDCS).

While their mother, Dulmi Oli, had died in a state of unconsciousness two days after giving birth to the twins, the father thought it wise to give the twins away rather than take them home.

Sunday was a special day for the twins. They were christened Jeevan and Ashish on the eleventh day of their birth through Caesarian section at the Churijhara hospital in Rukum.

Hutter and Silke Soeffner, both German development workers who run community health and adult literacy programme in Rukum, had flown the newly born twins to the capital.

The father of the children, who came only after the boys were born, said they would be better off if someone took care of them.

"We flew the twins to Kathmandu since they have no one of their own. What they need now is a reliable guardian," Susan told The Kathmandu Post. "We were moved by the misfortune of the twins. In fact, we could not imagine not caring about them," the German ladies said.

The mother was taken to hospital soon after she began having labour pain. She never knew that she would give birth to twins. "She was brought to the hospital in an unconscious state," Susan informed.

"The mother’s condition was highly critical. She had insufficient blood in her system," Susan said, adding that blood supply was arranged from local school students. "But that did not save her life."

Prem Bahadur Oli, the father of the twins, had not come to the hospital with his wife due to household chores. He did come, however, to hand the twins over to the German ladies, explaining, "There are already two minors at home and the twins will not get the necessary care." The father was sad and did not even look at the twins.

The German ladies are on the lookout for an arrangement for the twins’ care since Susan is returning to Germany on Friday. Silke is here for the next three months.

"I am equally grieved and shocked. They must be taken care of," Silke said.

Meanwhile, the Executive Director of Human Development and Community Services (HDCS) Tirtha Bahadur Thapa, who has taken over the task of caring for the twins said, "The twins are healthy.

They open their eyes and cry when they are hungry."

Susan, who was feeding the twins milk from a bottle, suggested mother’s milk would be best for them. She sounded ecstatic when revealing that yet another pair of twins, who were born under similar circumstances three years ago, had survived similar adverse situations.

The hospital, which caters to the needs of the people of Salyan, Jajarkot, Rolpa, Jumla and Dolpa, has only two doctors and 27 health workers.

However, pregnant mothers are taken to the hospital only in case of emergency.