Sandesh Rai had come all the way from Taplejung to Kathmandu in search of work. He wasn't used to the hustle and bustle of the urban capital, so he had never imagined that an evening stroll on the roadside could upend his life.

When a motorcycle crashed on Sandesh, he was left with a knee injury that almost completely restricted his mobility. The bike’s rod pierced through Sandesh’s calf, leaving a large wound with bone and tendons exposed. “It is so sad to see that road accidents something so preventable continue to injure and kill people”, adds his doctor.

“I came to Kathmandu in hopes of finding a job to sustain my family's lives but instead my knee injury has worsened my financial situation, burdening my family even more,” says Sandesh.

Sandesh’s doctor suggests that following the injury, he should take rest for at least 6 weeks and only move with the assistance of crutches. With time and consistent physiotherapy, his knee will recover from this injury. “In many ways, I think I got lucky: that accident could have ended much worse than it did.”

Despite his promising prognosis, however, Sandesh raises an important question: “Although I will soon be up and walking, what about the thousands of other people who die or become disabled in road accidents every year in Nepal?”

This painting depicts the patient’s injury, his hope for steady recovery, and his dissatisfaction with the attention paid to minimize accidents on the road.

(The name of the patient has been changed to protect his identity.)