Teaching patients wheelchair assembly

After a bit of a hiatus from my blog due to busyness and a week of terrible internet connections, I'm back. I'll catch up on the last few weeks as I can in the blog. I have in the meantime written another newsletter, which most of you should have received by email. If you didn't, it can be read by clicking here. Email me if you would like to receive these newsletters in the future.

Today at work, I assembled one of the 3-wheel Worldmade wheelchair with Prem, the patient who was going to be using it. I had got the frame cut down to size ahead of time, and then I taught Prem how to assemble it. Once the patients leave the hospital they will need to maintain their own wheelchair, so the more they know about how it goes together, the better.

I was a bit nervous, as I had only watched the previous chair being assembled, and not done one on my own. Ahead of time I sat down and sorted out for myself where all the nuts and bolts go, and what order to do it in. So it went ok, with only a couple mistakes that were quickly spotted and corrected before we got to the next step. In many ways, it was much more relaxing, because I was able to be doing things, not just watching, and thus could figure things out as we went.

I knew I was going to be teaching Prem how to assemble the chair, however, I had not counted on his wife and 18 month old daughter helping us too. His wife was quite helpful, and it made sense that she should learn about his chair too. The daughter was very cute, but we had to keep an eye on her that she didn't run off with the nuts and bolts, or play with the saw or eat anything she shouldn't or .... It added to the challenge, but also the entertainment, and in the end it worked out fine.


It only took about 3 hours to assemble the chair with Prem helping, so with the work I did ahead of time, it means one of these chairs can be assembled in a day. Good to know. Also good we finished when we did, as we got back inside just before a torrential rain and hail storm. It's hard to hear yourself think when you're inside a tin-roofed building and it is hailing, let alone communicate with others. However it didn't last too long, and I was able to get home without getting soaked.

I stopped in at the shop of a Nepali friend from Church, and got invited to dinner. Yummy curried vegetables and eggs in soup on rice. Hard to scoop up the remaining soupy part at the end with your hands, but otherwise wonderful. And now still, after repeated washings, my hand smells like curry. A small price to pay for a delicious family meal.