For 34-year-old paraplegic athlete Moloko Pula, getting to hospital for medical care means travelling from her rural village to Polokwane and relying on public transport that does not always accommodate her wheelchair.
Pula, who lives in Ga-Semenya village in the Moletjie area northwest of Polokwane, says that after becoming wheelchair-bound, she had to travel more than 300 kilometres from her village to Steve Biko Academic Hospital in Pretoria for treatment. A return trip cost her R1 100 and took several hours.
“Now that I’m wheelchair-bound, I have to rely on other people for mobility,” Pula says.
“The most stressful part is when you have to access healthcare facilities far away from home using public transport.”
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Pula says taxi drivers are reluctant to accommodate people who depend on a wheelchair.
“One day when I was on my way to my medical checkup in Polokwane, a taxi driver refused me to board, saying his car had no space for my wheelchair.”
Life changed after giving birth
Pula has been using a wheelchair since giving birth to her son, Keabetswe, at Steve Biko Academic Hospital in Pretoria in March 2020.
She says she underwent an emergency Caesarean section after doctors became concerned about her baby.
“I was pregnant when I was rushed to the hospital with severe labour pains before I could deliver my son, Keabetswe. After realising that my baby was in danger, the doctor rushed for emergency C-section,” she says.
Pula believes an epidural administered during the delivery caused the spinal injury which left her unable to walk. Health-e News has not been able to independently confirm the cause of her disability through her medical records.
“Even after delivering the baby, I still felt numb from my waist down and never felt any contractions. Since then, I couldn’t walk on my own again,” she says.
Travelling costs to access disability healthcare
Pula previously received rehabilitation services at Tshwane Rehabilitation Hospital, including physiotherapy, occupational therapy, psychology, dietetic services and care from neurologists.
She says a return taxi trip between Ga-Semenya and Tshwane for treatment, cost about R1 100.
Her care was recently moved closer to home. She now travels to Pietersburg Hospital in Polokwane.
Pula also receives treatment for hyperthyroidism, but says this is separate from the healthcare she needs related to her disability.
She says depending on public transport while using a wheelchair remains one of the biggest challenges.
Far traveling distances for rural healthcare
The Limpopo Department of Health recently acknowledged that long distances make it difficult for people in rural communities to access specialised healthcare.
In a statement marking six years of its Rural Health Matters programme, the provincial MEC for Health, Dieketseng Mashego says the programme was designed to bring specialist services closer to patients who would otherwise have to travel long distances or face lengthy waits for care.
“Quality healthcare must not be determined by where a person lives,” she says.
“People in rural and underserved communities must have access to specialised services without having to travel long distances or endure prolonged waiting periods.”
According to Mashego, 14 000 procedures have been performed through the programme since its inception in 2020, mainly surgeries and radiology treatment. But Mashego acknowledges that more patients need to be reached.
The Rural Health Matters programme is not designed specifically around people living with disabilities and their specialised healthcare needs.
Dr Bulela Vava, an Atlantic and Tekano fellow for health equity, recently argued in a Health-e News opinion piece that universal healthcare cannot be achieved without disability inclusion.
Vava says this should include not only healthcare services, but also infrastructure designed to be accessible to people with disabilities.
“Public transport is cheaper, but cannot accommodate someone using an assistive device such as a wheelchair. Private transport is suitable, but unaffordable,” Vava says.
“Access is not access when it ignores the reality that our systems, and the way we have designed them, continue to treat people living with disabilities as second-class citizens.”
Athlete refuses to give up
Despite these difficulties, Pula has continued with sport and modelling.
She is the first runner-up in the 2025/26 Miss South Africa Disability contest and won a silver medal at the 2026 National Javelin Throw Championships.
“I’ve always been an active person who participated in various sporting codes. Modeling was one my childhood dreams to become a world-renowned beauty queen,” she says.
Pula, who also works for Disabled People South Africa (DPSA), says people with disabilities continue to face barriers beyond healthcare.
“There is a deep stigma attached to people with disabilities. This creates huge barriers for them to realise their potential,” she says.
“Disabled people are often marginalised in sports, workplaces and everywhere in society.”
She says disabled athletes also struggle with inadequate equipment.
“We play sport under harsh environments where we’re forced to rely on broken wheelchairs. This often limit our potential while we are already facing physical and psychosocial challenges.”
Barriers beyond healthcare
Limpopo Wheelchair Basketball Association chairperson Lehlogonolo Rakolo says athletes with disabilities also struggle with inaccessible sporting facilities.
“We’re forced to compete in poorly maintained facilities which are not accessible by wheelchairs,” he says.
“These amenities have no ramps, adapted bathrooms, making it impossible for wheelchair athletes. It is even worse since we don’t have sports psychologists during major tournaments.”
DPSA Limpopo provincial manager Kwena Lamola says people with disabilities face numerous barriers, including limited access to health services, assistive devices and technology.
“Persons with disabilities often experience stigma arising from negative attitudes, stereotypes, misconceptions and lack of understanding about disability. The stigma can affect their dignity, confidence, relationships and ability to participate fully in society,” Lamola says.
“As DPSA, our main core programme is to advocate for the rights of persons with disabilities.”
Pula says she is determined not to let her disability stop her from setting new goals in sport and beauty pageants.
“Even after being confined to a wheelchair, I still want to pursue my dreams.”