The number of patients at Butabika Hospital have double the capacity of the facility causing panic at to the officials who are pondering releasing them to general hospitals.
Officials say the loss of loved ones, jobs during the Covid -19 pandemic have been the major cause of an influx in cases of mental health problems in the country
Dr Juliet Naku, the executive director told this publication in interview that mental health has become an issue not only in Uganda but worldwide as well especially with the recent pandemic of covid-19.
“It is becoming more visible than before but it has always been a matter of concern just that it had never been seen as such. Most mental units in most of the hospital country wide were turned into isolation units may last year when the cases reduced during covid 19,” she said.
According to records from the facility, the 550-bed capacity hospital used to receive between 900 and 950 patients but now it has increased to between 1000 and 1050 currently in admission at the facility.
“All these require food and we also provide clothing in the form of uniforms. Some of the patients come in with from all sorts of places and some are ferried by the police to the hospital and may not even have what to wear, so they provide beddings, laundry services to help keep the patience clean, recreational services and medication free of charge,” Ms Naku said.
In the next financial year, Ms Naku has said that the hospital seeks Shs23billion to take care of the increasing number of patients in the middle of high costs of living.
Dr Byamah Mutaba, the deputy executive director of Butabika hospital says that 90 percent of the cases are young adults between the age of 18 to 25 who have become addicts of drug abuse and drinking.
Dr Naku revealed that the hospital faces challenges of limited space, funding and human resources. The hospital has 421 staff but only two third of them are health workers.
Dr Naku also urges those with patients at the health facility to work hand in hand with the hospital to provide external support and not abandon them at the hospital.
Dr Mutamba said that one can detect a mentally ill person if they have loss of appetite, too much sleep, and withdraw from the society.
He also added that the most severe illness registered include depression, bipolar disorder and chronic psychosis.
