Nepal Made Wheelchair Distribution Program

Today CIL-Kathmandu is delighted to handover ten well customized manual active wheelchairs in collaboration of Infinity Lab R&D. Special gratitude goes to Nepal Bangladesh Bank Ltd. for generous support on life-changing and value-adding work. We believe the investment made by Nepal Bangladesh Bank Ltd. on the locally made wheelchairs is going to harvest the best choice to enable mobility and live independent lives of persons living with spinal cord injury, polio and muscular dystrophy etc. In the past CIL-Kathmandu was able to produce more than 200 wheelchairs utilizing locally available resources. Ministry of Women Children and Senior Citizen was partnering with CIL-Kathmandu for setting wheelchair workshop, purchase essential raw materials and pay human resources.

But, change on government system i.e Federal Government system cut off the budget on wheelchairs and we were forced to stop our dream of manufacturing wheelchairs in Nepal. For the first time, Nepal Bangladesh Bank Ltd. invested through its Corporate Social Responsibility system for enabling mobility rights of individuals living with diverse disability spectrum.

Mobility is our fundamental rights but it is not in general and available wheelchairs in the market are not user friendly if we rely on a wheelchair to get around. And too many of the chairs that are available are made in China, India and other third countries and which are designed to be used in hospitals where people are pushed around rather than for people to propel themselves. And those chairs are not the most durable, soon become unusable when they confront the uneven terrain of Nepal. Nepal.

Well, we don’t want to be pushed around. We just want a hand so that individuals using wheelchairs can propel themselves. So CIL-Kathmandu is looking forward to work in partnership with local private investors and most importantly with the government utilizing space provided by Balaju School of Engineering and Technology and the human resources provided by Infinity Lab R&D to answer the call and produce a uniquely Nepali chair to meet the needs of our people in Nepal.

These chairs are designed by Nepali engineers. They are built in Nepal using homegrown talent, and manpower. And, most importantly, they are designed to allow people to be part of life, rather than being trapped at home.

They are made of lightweight (10 to 11kg) high-quality aluminium frames. They are easily collapsible so they can be put in a car, bus, or taxi. Their low center of gravity makes them less likely to tip on unstable surfaces which are so prevalent in this region. The wheels, tires, and bearing assemblies where designed for the dust, mud, impact, and the abuse of constant use on bumpy, uneven conditions. The same conditions that typically destroy imported wheelchairs.

We have a confidant to fix any of we made wheelchairs if we find break within five years. Though these wheelchairs can be pushed, there are designed to be propelled by ourselves. However, we have even an electric and specially designed version as well for profound disability as well.

CIL-Kathmandu felt special gratitude to pioneering support of Nepal Bangladesh Bank Ltd. Mr Surendra Bhushan Shrestha, Deputy Chief Executive Officer felt amazed to observe the design, framework, usage and durability. They have committed to extending their support in future as well.

We believe the investment made by Nepal Bangladesh Bank Ltd. on the locally made well-customized wheelchair is going to harvest best alternatives to enable mobility rights of persons living with spinal cord injury, polio and muscular dystrophy etc. Thank you very much for setting a milestone to boost mobility rights of our peers.