KOTA BHARU, Feb 25 (Bernama) -- A tragedy 32 years ago, when a bus frame collapsed on him while he was repairing the heavy vehicle, caused mechanic Mohd Rosdi Osman to suffer spinal cord injuries, making him dependent on a wheelchair for his daily routine.
Although paralysed from the waist down (a paraplegic) and holding a person with disabilities (PWD) card, Mohd Rosdi, now aged 56, never lost his spirit to rise again from immobility, eventually becoming capable of modifying manual wheelchairs for those who share his paraplegic condition.
"The tragedy occurred while I was repairing a damaged factory bus at a workshop in Pengkalan Chepa, but due to a technical error, the front part of the bus suddenly fell on me, injuring my spinal cord.
"My rehabilitation treatment began at Wisma Kayu Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL) while bedridden, but after four months of rehab sessions, I was able to sit up," he told Bernama at the Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM)-Majlis Agama Islam dan Adat Istiadat Melayu Kelantan (MAIK) Disabled Transformation Centre in Kubang Kerian recently.
Continuing his amazing story of human transformation, the father of three who lives near Kampung Kubang Badak here said he began challenging himself to become a customer-specific wheelchair modification technician at the USM-MAIK Disabled Transformation Centre in 2022.
"I leveraged my nearly 29 years of experience and knowledge as a mechanic to master the skills of repairing and modifying wheelchairs according to the needs of the disabled," he said, adding that he could repair and customise at least three wheelchairs a day, including wheel damage.
Mohd Rosdi said that among the wheelchair modifications offered are consultation services for selecting a wheelchair based on type, size, and usage before further evaluation is carried out.
"Some patients require a wheelchair that suits their condition, including foldable needs like a bed rest, armrest, footrest, reclining and so on (to prevent skin sores as well). These elements can be realised through modification, with prices ranging from RM130 to RM700," he said, having altered over 300 wheelchairs according to to world standards.
He said that after a wheelchair is customised, he will personally test-ride it to ensure it is in good mobile condition, easy to push and suitable for the disabled, according to guidelines issued by the World Health Organisation (WHO) for wheelchair modification.
"This wheelchair modification service is offered to all disabled groups. These special persons can also receive training and learn better wheelchair usage at the USM-MAIK Disabled Transformation Centre, to become more confident in handling a wheelchair for mobility to continue their daily routine," he added.
-- BERNAMA
