House Committee demands improved mental health capacity at Entebbe Hospital
The directive follows concerns raised by legislators over the growing number of mental health patients overwhelming Butabika.
KAMPALA, April 5, 2026 — Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee [Central Government] has directed Entebbe Regional Referral Hospital to strengthen its mental health services in a bid to ease congestion at Butabika National Referral Hospital.
The directive follows concerns raised by legislators over the growing number of mental health patients overwhelming Butabika.
During earlier interactions with officials from Butabika Hospital recently, the committee noted a high depression rate of nearly 4.6 per cent, alongside a rise in suicide cases. The hospital also reported a significant prevalence of mental illness among children, estimated at 22.9 per cent.
The Committee Deputy Chairperson, Gorreth Namugga, who chaired a meeting with Entebbe Hospital officials on Wednesday, said the situation has been exacerbated by limited capacity at district and regional health facilities, which are expected to handle a substantial share of mental health cases.
“Butabika officials appeared before the committee and raised concerns about congestion, noting that lower-level facilities lack the capacity to manage such cases,” Namugga said.
She added that the current trend, where most mental health cases are referred to national facilities, is unsustainable and places excessive strain on Butabika.
The committee learnt that Entebbe Hospital currently has the capacity to attend to at least 43 mental health patients per day, mainly on an outpatient basis. However, the facility lacks adequate infrastructure to admit patients requiring prolonged or specialised care.
Members of Parliament called on the hospital to develop and submit proposals outlining the support needed to strengthen its mental health services. They said the proposals would inform Parliament’s deliberations on the 2026/2027 national budget.
The hospital’s Director, Dr John Bosco Nsubuga, said that although the facility has a functional mental health unit staffed by seven medical officers, it is constrained by a lack of space for in-patient care.
“We have a mental health unit with seven staff attending to patients on an outpatient basis, but we have been unable to secure a dedicated ward for admissions,” he said.
The Members of Parliament expressed concern that without adequate admission facilities and staffing, the hospital’s contribution to easing congestion at Butabika will remain limited.
They also requested data on the nurse-to-patient ratio in both the mental health and neonatal units to guide planning and resource allocation.
https://thecooperator.news/mainstream-mental-health-in-all-agencies-govt-urged/
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