RIYADH — Saudi Arabia continues to make new achievements to enhance its leading role in various fields worldwide with the support of its wise leadership under Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense.

The Kingdom added to its record of successes a new achievement in the medical and humanitarian field, after conducting the 52nd separation procedure of conjoined twins, one of the most complex and delicate operations in the world.

The first operation of its kind took place in the Kingdom in 1990 through the launch of the Saudi Medical Program to separate conjoined twins, which has been running for three decades and has been receiving cases from around the world. The number of cases that have been studied and evaluated so far amounted to 124 from 23 countries from around the world.

The program is the only one of its kind in the world that covers the expenses of the operation, treatment, and post-operation rehabilitation, in addition to hosting the parents of the twins to keep them in the company of their children while undergoing the operation and during the recovery period.

The separation procedures are performed by specialized Saudi medical teams, whose number could reach up to 35 experts, including doctors and surgeons, technicians and nurses. The total duration of all the operations together is approximately 600 hours, including an operation that lasted for 23.5 consecutive hours.

This achievement reflects the lofty human gesture of the Saudi government and its keenness to provide welfare to other people, regardless of any considerations. It also reflects Saudi medical excellence, which comes in line with the objectives of the Kingdom's Vision 2030 in developing the health sector and raising its quality and efficiency. — SPA