KAMPALA, March 17, 2026 — Butabika National Referral Mental Hospital is facing a funding shortfall of Shs 102 billion required to effectively meet its wage, non-wage and capital development needs, according to its Executive Director, Dr. Juliet Nakku.
Appearing before Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee [Central Government] on Monday, Dr Nakku said the hospital requires Shs 24 billion to, among other priorities, improve staffing levels, but has been allocated only Shs 9.6 billion for wages.
She added that the hospital needs Shs 60 billion for non-wage expenditure and Shs 40 billion for capital development. However, it received only Shs 10 billion and Shs 2.2 billion respectively.
“We have 14 psychiatric specialist doctors serving a population of 1,000 patients, which is a drop in the ocean. Ideally, we should have one doctor for every 30 patients, but the ratio is now one doctor to 100 patients, and one nurse to 60 patients, which is very high for mental health care that is extremely intensive,” Nakku said.
She noted that the hospital’s staff structure has expanded over the past two years from 533 to 833 positions, but these roles remain unfunded.
Her remarks followed concerns raised by legislators over the increasing rates of mental illness in the country.
Gorreth Namugga, Chairperson of the committee, highlighted a depression prevalence rate of nearly 4.6 per cent, adding that suicide rates in communities are also rising.
“The escalating level of mental illness among children, at 22.9 per cent, is simply too high. What should parents do to mitigate this? Have you implemented the policy of integrating mental health services into primary healthcare?” Namugga asked.
Bugiri Municipality Member of Parliament Asuman Basalirwa commended the hospital’s training institution and inquired about transition policies for trainees into the hospital system.
“What is the availability of the health professionals you train to serve in other regional referral hospitals?” he asked.
Amuria District Woman Representative Susan Amero observed that the hospital has done limited public sensitisation on mental health.
“When have you appeared on radio or television to sensitise the public about mental health and how to prevent such situations?” Amero asked.
Nakku attributed the rising cases of mental illness among young people to factors such as unemployment, family breakdown and academic pressure.
“We have previously raised concerns about school programmes that do not allow young people adequate rest. Some begin preps at 4.00am after sleeping at 11.00pm the previous night. High academic expectations from parents and the community also contribute to mental health breakdowns,” she said.
She further pointed to alcohol and substance abuse, which she said accounts for 30 per cent of patients at Butabika.
Responding to concerns about staffing across the country, Nakku said efforts are underway to increase the number of psychologists, counsellors and social workers at health centres and district hospitals.
“This will enable people to access help early within their communities before their conditions worsen to the point of requiring referral to Butabika. What we need is support from Parliament to lobby for increased wage allocations to allow other health facilities to recruit staff,” she added.
Nakku also noted that the hospital conducts social media campaigns and radio talk shows to raise awareness about mental health, alongside providing curated information through its call centre.
Mental health cases in Uganda have surged by over 70 per cent between 2021 and 2024, with roughly 24 per cent of adults and 23 per cent of children now impacted by conditions like depression and anxiety, according the State of Uganda Population Report 2025 , which highlights a silent crisis driven by unemployment, poverty, and substance abuse, with fewer than 1 in 10 affected individuals receiving care.
https://thecooperator.news/mainstream-mental-health-in-all-agencies-govt-urged/
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