New Delhi:
As he pedals on his training cycle, 24-year-old Himmat Singh is taking small steps to recovery. Last year he met with an accident while on his bike without a helmet, leaving him with serious head injuries. Though he looks physically fit, he still hasn't managed to get back to normal. His mother Rajesh tells NDTV, "The first 10-15 days we didn't even know if he would make it alive. But he hasn't been able to get back to work. He worked as an electrician. Now he gets convulsions and has temper issues after the accident."
In the same rehabilitation centre is 33-year-old Amit Kapoor. He was in an accident at the beginning of 2013. It took five hours and three hospitals before Amit could receive the critical neurological attention he desperately needed. That delay has left him paralysed on his left side and severely dependent on his family.
As his father Satish Kapoor speaks to us, Amit listens in, even joining in the conversation through gestures and sounds. "He used to help me out in the jewellery shop. He was very good at billiards. He was very fond of racing. Now he can't do any of that," says Mr Kapoor.
While road accidents often focus on the horrifying deaths on the roads, at the Indian Head Injury Foundation, a neuro-rehabilitation centre, the focus is on making sure those who survive can get back to leading normal lives. Dr Rajendra Prasad, the Medical director explains, "1.5 lakh people die every year but we know that being in the business of looking after serious trauma, that number that are seriously injured is five times that number. But we haven't concentrated at all in India on the rehabilitation part. Most people here are conscious and are able to walk and you think that's a good result but they haven't been able to get back to work."
Rehabilitation through family and patient support groups besides dedicated therapy is a slow and long process but one that requires as much attention as preventive steps aimed at ensuring road safety.