Kathmandu, Aug. 10 -- Inside the Spinal Injury Rehabilitation Centre in Kathmandu, there's a dedicated wheelchair graveyard room. Hundreds of wheelchairs that once helped disabled patients get around now sit broken and unusable.

Most of the wheelchairs were donated by people from various parts of the world. When even the smallest piece of a wheelchair breaks, the machine becomes irreparable because each is a different brand or model.

The researchers at Design Lab-a Kathmandu University-based mechanical engineering lab led by Assistant Professor Pratisthit Lal Shrestha-are working to produce essential medical devices in Nepal for patients with disabilities.

They're manufacturing from the ground up, breaking down the production steps for...