Limpopo paraplegic athlete battles public transport to reach healthcare and rehab
Health-e News Limpopo paraplegic athlete battles public transport to reach healthcare and rehab 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,…
34-year-old paraplegic athlete Moloko Pula experiences challenges in accessing healthcare and rehabilitation due to limited public transport accommodating her wheelchair. Pula, from Ga-Semenya village near Polokwane, must travel over 300 kilometres for treatment at Steve Biko Academic Hospital in Pretoria, costing her R1,100 and taking several hours.
Taxi drivers often refuse to accommodate her wheelchair, causing distress. Pula, who became wheelchair-bound after giving birth to her son in 2020, attributes her disability to an epidural during childbirth. Despite the difficulties, Pula remains active in sports and modeling, winning the 2025/26 Miss South Africa Disability contest and a silver medal at the 2026 National Javelin Throw Championships.
However, she faces barriers in sports and transportation, with inadequate facilities and lack of wheelchair-accessible amenities.
Written by urgent.news from Health-e News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
