ABBOTTABAD, Dec 2: A limb loss rehabilitation centre set up at the Ayub Medical Complex Hospital by UK-based-Pakistani doctors has started functioning and providing artificial limbs to earthquake survivors. The hospital’s Medical Superintendent Dr Zafeer Abbasi, told Dawn on Friday, that Pakistani doctors had planned to establish this centre in Rawalpindi or Islamabad but they were persuaded to provide this facility here.

He said that a team of doctors led by well-known orthopaedic surgeon Amjad Gulzar was running the centre. They had machinery and experienced staff and developed a workshop in AMC for which management of AMC had provided them full support.

100 patients were registered by the AMC and now the team was providing artificial limbs free of cost to six to eight patients every day while hospital was also providing them physiotherapy facility without charges.

The MS said that the team of Pakistani doctors would work there for at least six months during which they would also train local staff.

He said all the equipment and machinery of the centre would be handed over to the Ayub Medical Complex and these trained local doctors would run the facility after departure of the founders of the centre.

Meanwhile Dr Zafeer has asked the injured from Balakot, Mansehra, Kaghan, Naran, Paras, Battagram, Alai and other areas to get themselves registered with the centre for getting artificial limbs.