Locally made electric wheelchair makes life easier for Bomjon

KATHMANDU: Physically challenged Durga Bomjon, a local teacher at Chitwan Secondary School in Chitwan, no longer needs to seek anyone’s support to commute to school, thanks to a locally made electric wheelchair that has made his movement a lot easier and convenient.

After Sunil Pariyar, a young engineer, and his research team built a customized electric wheelchair for Bomjon, moving around has been an easy affair for him.

Bomjon gushed that the electric wheelchair has changed his lifestyle and expressed his gratitude to engineer Pariyar and his team for manufacturing the mobility vehicle.

“The electric wheelchair has helped me fulfill my dream of riding scooter and it has become easier to cross the road,” he said expressing joy and convenience the vehicle has brought into his life.

The engineers’ group founded Infinity Lab and has been undertaking wheelchair manufacturing and research in partnership with the Narayani Polytechnic Institute in Bharatpur, Chitwan district.

Pariyar, who has been building and repairing wheelchair for nine years, is on a campaign to build Nepal’s environment-friendly wheelchairs. He shared, “The Lab has been repairing old wheelchairs and building new ones at the request of individuals, hospitals and social organizations after researching on various designs of the wheelchairs.”

The Lab designs the frame and makes new model of wheelchairs, further said Pariyar who emphasized that the government should provide wheelchairs to people with disability for free of cost.

Khem KC, who is also associated with the Lab, articulated his intent to collaborate with the government agencies to research and development of wheelchair.

At present, KC has been manufacturing wheelchairs in the design and size as per the requirement. According to him, wheelchairs are mostly required for patients sustaining injuries from accidents, strokes and spinal cord injury.

He described, “The spinal cord injury patients remain in bed if they do not avail wheelchair.” After working in hospital for 12 years and witnessing the difficulties facing the patients with physical disabilities, he started working on wheelchair production.

Engineer Sunil is credited for building first ever electric wheelchair in Nepal. He lamented that there was less awareness about wheelchair use and there was no wheelchair-friendly environment in the country.

“There is a tendency of shying away from using wheelchair. For this, social awareness is necessary. The practice of confiding people with disabilities to house should be ended and there should be a change in the way society view people in wheelchair,” he maintained.

Bharatpur Metropolitan City’s executive member Gopal Darai commended that the Infinity Lab’s role was inspiring. He underscored State’s support for research and development of such works.