Imphal, June 19 2009: Tears of joy overran tears of sorrow of a childless couple with the birth of test tube babies in first of its kind in Manipur on the historic day of June 18 at the Suba Hospital and Assisted Reproductive Centre, Kombirei Keithel, RIMS South Gate, Imphal.

The proud parents of the two babies are Yumnam Jekendra (47) and Nengboi (37).The twin Test-Tube babies were born at the hospital through fertilisation technology, which also marks the progress the state has made in the field of medical science.

The sour story which the couple had suffered silently and the sweet part of their story with the birth of the test tube babies surfaced when Hueiyen Lanpao interacted with them at the Hospital today.

Yumnam Jekendra is presently serving as a professor at the Central Agriculture University while his better half, Nengboi is serving as an AO in the Agriculture Department.

They tied the nuptial knot in 1995.Later, they got a daughter in 1998 and they named her Mangal Leima, who is also fondly called as Babu.

Tears of agony began to roll down on the cheek of Jekendra when he mentioned the death of their beloved daughter Babu on May 30, 2005, just when she was in Class II at Little Flowers School.

However, the sheer curiosity to know the flip side of the story prompted this reporter to insist them to narrate their story.

Thus recounted Jekendra:"At that time (of their daughter's death), I was on a tour to Gangtok relating to my official work.

I took my wife Nengboi and my daughter Babu along with me in an official vehicle.

During that time, there had been communal clash in Assam's Karbi-Anglong district.

"As our journey progressed, some unknown gunmen had opened fire towards our vehicle unexpectedly which instantly claimed the live of our darling Babu.

Since then, we are childless.

We had suffered the pangs of agony with the lost of our dear daughter" .

He further said that all possible doors were knocked to get an answer to their prayer.

As such, the couple went twice to Pratiks Hospital in Guwahati in 2006 and 2007 respectively to get treatment of their sterility which proved futile.

They later approached the Suba Hospital and Assisted Reproductive Centre, Imphal.

Jekendra said elatedly that at the first attempt at the Hospital, twin babies were born at the Hospital which according to the parents is also the beginning of their blissful chapter of their life after the lost of their first daughter in 2005.He said the two daughters will be given Meitei names though Jekendra refused yet to make public the names of the babies.

Talking to Hueiyen Lanpao, Dr Imo, who is also the owner of Suba Hospital and Assisted Reproductive Centre, Imphal, said that to successfully perform the birth of Test Tube baby has been my long vision as a Gynaecologist.

He said the twin test tube babies were born by using In vitro Fertilisation (IVF) technology.

Dr Imo said that one has to spend at least Rs 1, 50,000 for such case outside the state.

But the birth of the twin babies has only cost the parents just a little over 60,000 at Suba Hospital and Assisted Reproductive Centre, Imphal.

"This will give a new and real concept of test tube baby to the people of Manipur," Dr Imo said.

Dr Imo was reluctant to name the Doctors working as a team for the success of the birth of the test tube babies.

It may be mentioned that one of the babies weight 2 kgs while the other weigh 2.3 kgs.

The babies and the mother are said to be doing well.

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