http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/forum/story/0,5562,345571,00.html?
Oct 8, 2005
Nepalese twins: A tale of misplaced sympathy
I AM writing in response to the report on the Nepalese twins
('Wrangle over Nepalese twins' hospital bill'; ST, Oct 6).
I had previously written to ST Forum stating that their technically
successful operation was a medical mistake. But having made a
mistake, the Singapore General Hospital (SGH) did not abandon them
and, in fact, tried its best to help, given the
circumstances.
When the twins returned to Kathmandu after their surgery in
November 2001, SGH continued their follow-up treatment, jointly
with local doctors. In 2002, the SGH doctors went there to plan
their follow-up management in Nepal with the local
neurosurgeon.
Between 2002 and this year, SGH's team of Dr Chumpon Chan
(neurosurgeon), Dr Vincent Yeow (reconstructive plastic surgeon)
and physiotherapists made a few trips, at SGH's own expense, to
assess and plan further treatment.
The consensus with the local neurosurgeon, Dr Devkota, was that a
shunt was required for Ganga, and this straightforward operation
could be done safely in Kathmandu. SGH offered to fly its surgeons
to assist in the operation, and to fund the cost of treatment in
Kathmandu from the balance of the funds raised in Singapore. At a
later stage, both twins would be brought to SGH for skull
reconstruction, a complex procedure requiring a team of
neurosurgeons and plastic surgeons. This was explained clearly and
repeatedly to the family.
However, the mother and grandfather insisted on coming to
Singapore. They refused to let the local surgeon treat the twins.
The mother then approached Dr Keith Goh, who agreed to bring Ganga
to Singapore for treatment at East Shore Hospital.
After my previous letter to ST Forum, I received a letter from Ms
Angella Cheng, who is very close to the twins' family and was their
guardian when they were in Singapore. She wrote, and I just
confirmed again over the telephone with her, that the twins'
parents' motive for coming to Singapore is to get more sympathy
money, which they have actually got while in East Shore Hospital
this visit.
The parents even approached the Gurkha contingent in Singapore
again but were turned down this time because the contingent had
already donated to the twins on the first occasion.
SGH was subsequently approached by East Shore Hospital for funding
from the balance of the funds when the twins arrived here. In
consultation with the Nepalese Consul-General here, Mr Swami (who
is also a member of the trustees of the fund), SGH informed East
Shore Hospital that it would reimburse it based on the cost if the
twins had been treated at SGH.
When East Shore Hospital submitted its claim for reimbursement
following their treatment, the trustees (with the Nepalese
Consul-General present) went through the bill. Only a shunt
operation was done for Ganga. SGH then reverted to East Shore
Hospital with SGH's estimated bill size and reimbursed it
accordingly.
As for claims of Botox and intensive physiotherapy for Jamuna, I
have no confirmation as to whether it was indeed carried out, but,
even if it was, for any improvement to be possible it has to be a
long-term treatment that needs to be continued in Kathmandu.
Obviously, this short-term intensive and expensive therapy will
have little permanent effect on her leg deformity or ability to
walk and is not justified.
As a bystander and a Singaporean, I watch this saga unfold with
sadness and disappointment. I feel very sorry for the twins who
will never have a normal life - perhaps less sorry for Ganga, who
is a vegetable with no awareness of her own suffering, and more so
for Jamuna, who has enough comprehension to know what suffering
is.
I am disappointed with my fellow Singaporeans' gullibility. Some of
you may remember the Indonesian baby with grossly swollen head who
landed on our shores not long after the technically successful
separation of the Nepalese twins.
Public sympathy again produced enough funds for a palliative
operation to be done. Last seen at age 2 1/2 years, the baby was
severely disabled, mentally and physically.
Then there was the saga of the Yishun siblings who had an operation
for deep-brain stimulation done in Taiwan at tremendous cost, again
paid for by the Singapore public. They could have been treated in
SGH or the National Neuroscience Institute at a fraction of the
cost.
The operation was claimed in the press to be a miraculous success,
and the siblings were shown walking with assistance. Now they are
no longer able to walk, not even with assistance.
I cannot resist one last story which illustrates both the
propensity of the press to sensationalise and the gullibility of
Singaporeans.
When the story of Huang Na's murder hit the papers, many people
donated money to the girl's mother, with the total sum enough to
cover many subsidised patients' hospital bills or provide bursaries
for many, many poor students.
But what good is that money to Huang Na who has died?
Assoc Prof Lee Wei Ling
Director and Senior Consultant
National Neuroscience Institute
Moral of the story: Don't anyhow donate. Make sure what you are
donating to and its purpose. Don't anyhow donate just because some
people put a "sad story" in front of you but installed a gold tap
in their office.
Don't be swayed by propaganda. 
