Butabika Hospital grapples with severe staff shortage amid rising mental health cases
By Peterson Hiirya.
Butabika National Referral Hospital is facing a deepening staffing crisis, with only 14 psychiatric specialists attending to more than 1,000 patients, hospital officials have revealed.
The hospital’s Executive Director, Juliet Nakku, disclosed the situation while appearing before the Public Accounts Committee.
Dr Nakku said the national mental health referral facility urgently requires Shs120 billion to address critical gaps in operations, infrastructure, and human resources.
“The hospital is overwhelmed and our staff are overburdened,” she said. “Currently, one nurse attends to more than 60 patients, which is unacceptable.”
Her remarks come amid growing concern among lawmakers over rising cases of depression and suicide across the country.
Rising burden
Health experts warn that mental illness in Uganda is reaching crisis levels, with an estimated 32 percent of the population—about 14 million people—affected.
Facility-reported cases surged by more than 70 percent between 2021 and 2024, driven largely by depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The spike has overwhelmed existing services, particularly at Butabika, the country’s main mental health facility.
Experts describe the situation as a “silent emergency,” citing widespread unmet need and limited access to care.
Funding and staffing gaps
Only about one percent of Uganda’s national health budget is allocated to mental health services, contributing to chronic underfunding, inadequate staffing, and strained infrastructure.
The country also faces a critical shortage of trained professionals, with just over one mental health worker per 100,000 people.
Dr Nakku emphasized that the pressure on Butabika could be eased by strengthening services at regional and community levels.
“We need to take mental health services closer to the people,” she said, urging investment in early diagnosis and treatment systems nationwide.
Access and stigma challenges
Mental health services in Uganda remain largely concentrated in urban areas, leaving rural populations with limited or no access to care.
At the same time, stigma and misconceptions—sometimes linking mental illness to witchcraft—continue to discourage many people from seeking treatment.
Experts say addressing the crisis will require a coordinated national response involving government, health institutions, and communities to expand services, increase funding, and combat stigma.
As cases continue to rise, pressure is mounting on authorities, including the Ministry of Health, to prioritise mental health as a key component of public healthcare.
