Health 1 April 2026 Howwe Entertainment
PAC Directs Entebbe Hospital to Bolster Mental Health Unit Amid Butabika Overcrowding
Uganda's Public Accounts Committee has instructed Entebbe Regional Referral Hospital to expand its mental health services to alleviate pressure on the overcrowded Butabika National Referral Hospital. The move addresses rising depression rates, suicide cases, and high mental illness among children, with MPs urging budget proposals for infrastructure improvements. Source: https://www.howwe.ug/news/national/42733/expand-mental-health-unit-at-entebbe-hospital
The Public Accounts Committee (Central Government) has directed Entebbe Regional Referral Hospital to enhance its mental health capabilities. This step aims to decongest Butabika National Referral Hospital, which is struggling with a surge in patients.
Legislators highlighted alarming statistics from Butabika, including a 4.6% depression rate, rising suicides, and 22.9% mental illness prevalence in children. During a meeting on April 1, 2026, chaired by Deputy Chairperson Hon. Gorreth Namugga, concerns were raised about weak capacity at lower-level facilities.
Namugga noted that over-reliance on Butabika for mental health referrals is unsustainable, straining national resources. Entebbe Hospital currently manages 43 outpatients daily but lacks space for inpatients needing extended care.
Hospital Director Dr. John Bosco Nsubuga explained that the unit, staffed by seven medical officers, operates solely on an outpatient basis due to infrastructure shortages. MPs urged the hospital to submit detailed proposals for support, to be considered in the 2026/2027 national budget.
Lawmakers also voiced worries over limited admission facilities and staffing, requesting nurse-to-patient ratios for mental health and neonatal units to inform resource planning.
Source: Howwe Entertainment