A little girl can walk again for the first time since she lost her leg in the South Asian earthquake thanks to a pioneering service set up by a Bradford surgeon.

Bradford Royal Infirmary orthopaedic surgeon Asad Syed returned to the devastated region, after his first visit, to help found the Limb Loss Association Pakistan to help this five-year-old girl and hundreds of other amputees like her.

The surgeon, who worked around the clock with a team of West Yorkshire medics, has helped to set up a new artificial limb and rehabilitation centre complete with a workshop where artificial limbs are made in Ayub in Abbottabad.

Nothing like the centre, which has been set up from scratch, exists in the vast area between Islamabad and Muzaffarabad.

"We have registered about 110 patients and have six trained technicians to make the limbs," said Dr Syed on his return to Bradford.

"We have started to fit the limbs and by last Friday we had already fitted five people.

"We have also set up a rehabilitation unit and physiotherapy unit and hope that within the next few months we can fit all our amputees with artificial limbs.

"We are trying to make sure this model succeeds and are using third and

fourth generation technology, which allows these prosthetics to work like normal limbs. Prior to this, the kind of technology that existed was 'wooden peg' which is very primitive."

Dr Syed travelled to the devastated region, where hundreds of thousands of people are struggling to rebuild their lives after the earthquake, with a team of medics from across West Yorkshire and worked with Limbless Association UK to set up the new facility.

He hopes the centre will be able to help at least 200 people over the coming months and offer them long-term support and care - but the centre's work is not restricted to amputees alone.

"For every one amputee, we have about four patients who need orthosis (splints)," said Dr Syed. "People have suffered temporary and permanent nerve injuries and they need their limbs to be supported.

"Now we have something on the ground that is working, we need people's support. We have set up a board of governors and trustees to ensure there is transparency and to make sure every last penny that is donated is spent where it ought to be."

The determined surgeon suffered a bout of food poisoning and flu during his recent two week mercy mission but battled on to offer hope to people, who otherwise may never have walked again.

"During my whole career I don't think I have ever felt the way I did when I saw that little girl get up for the first time," he said. "We fitted an artificial limb to a man who is a lorry driver and who wants to return to his job.

"This is very transparent and if people really want to help they can support this effort which will be ongoing."

Anyone who wants to donate money to the centre or offer help can contact Dr Syed by email on asyed87@aol.com