Uganda’s premier psychiatric facility, Butabika Hospital urgently seeks funding from government to provide services to ever increasing patient demand.
Dr. Juliet Nakku Butabika National Referral Hospital Executive Director has requested for shs 124 billion to expand the facility and address severe patient congestion caused by a surge in mental health cases.
Appearing before the Parliamentary Committee on Public Accounts to respond to the Auditor General’s report for the 2021-22 fiscal year. Nakku said the hospital is overwhelmed, daily admitting between 1,200 and 1,400 patients despite a bed capacity designed for 550 the hospital is not able to fully execute its mandate because of limited funding
Founded in 1955 a public, free-care, 550-bed institution (handling ~1,100–1,300 patients) Butabika Hospital offers specialized mental healthcare, specialized units for addiction and forensic psychiatry, and training for mental health professionals the facility is overwehelmed with patient population .
She urged Parliament to increase financial support to ensure the facility can deliver expected care to all Ugandans.
Nakku further stressed that Staffing levels have also reached a critical point with Nakku a doctor-to-patient ratio of one doctor per 1,000 patients, while the nurse-to-patient ratio stands at one nurse for every 15 patients. She said these figures indicate health workers are severely overworked.
Hospital data shows a significant rise in mental health issues between 2021 and 2024, with 24.2% of adults and 22% of children in Uganda suffering from mental illness. Nakku noted a sharp increase in drug and alcohol addiction, particularly among youth aged 13 to 18.
Committee members, including Bugiri Municipality MP Asuman Basalirwa and Deputy Chairperson Gorreth Namugga, questioned the drivers behind the rising numbers.
Nakku cited community stress factors such as financial strain, unemployment, family breakdowns and academic pressure from intensive school programs.
“We cannot allow the situation to worsen because the ratio of one doctor to 1,000 patients is unacceptable,”Namugga said.
Dr. Brian Mutamba, the hospital Deputy Executive Director and a senior consultant psychiatrist, said patients dealing with substance abuse require highly specialized care in restricted environments. He added that the hospital is planning to acquire a van to assist patients who struggle with transportation to the facility for daily addiction treatment.