The Filipino conjoined twins, Olivia and Gianna, arrived in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, from the Republic of the Philippines, via King Khalid International Airport. Upon their arrival, they were immediately transferred to King Abdullah Specialized Children’s Hospital of the Ministry of National Guard to study their condition and consider the possibility of performing a surgical separation operation.
The arrival of the twins comes in implementation of the directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince and Prime Minister - may God protect them - within the framework of the great humanitarian efforts made by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to alleviate human suffering wherever it may be, without regard to race, religion or color.
The Saudi Program for Separating Conjoined Twins: A Global Leadership
The case of twins Olivia and Gianna represents another success story in the ongoing success of the Saudi program for separating conjoined twins, overseen by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center. The medical and surgical team is led by His Excellency Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Rabeeah, Advisor at the Royal Court and Supervisor General of the Center, who affirmed that this initiative embodies the Kingdom's noble humanitarian values.
The Filipino twins are scheduled to undergo thorough and comprehensive medical examinations as soon as they are settled in the hospital, where the multidisciplinary medical team will assess the health of the shared organs, determine the risk level, and develop an appropriate treatment plan, whether it requires surgical intervention for separation or not.
A history full of medical achievements
The Saudi Program for Separating Conjoined Twins boasts a distinguished track record spanning over three decades, with the first operations performed in 1990. Since then, the Kingdom has become a leading global destination in this complex medical field. The program has reviewed more than 130 cases from over 25 countries worldwide and performed more than 60 successful separation surgeries, reflecting the high level of expertise among Saudi medical professionals and the advanced facilities at King Abdulaziz Medical City.
Humanitarian relations between Saudi Arabia and the Philippines
The case of Olivia and Gianna is not the first of its kind that the Kingdom has received from the Philippines. Riyadh has previously received several cases of conjoined twins from the Philippines, whose separation surgeries were successful, and who returned to their country in good health. This ongoing cooperation reflects the depth of relations between the two countries and underscores the Kingdom's leading role in international humanitarian work, as the Kingdom covers all expenses for the twins' surgeries and accommodation, as well as those of their families, leaving a positive and lasting impact on the lives of the beneficiary populations.
