Govt moves to decentralise mental health care as But
The Ugandan Ministry of Health is decentralizing mental health services to regional and general hospitals to reduce the burden on the overwhelmed Butabika National Referral Mental Hospital. This initiative aims to improve access to care by building capacity and infrastructure at lower-level facilities.
Why it matters
It addresses a critical public health crisis in Uganda where specialized mental health care is currently centralized and inaccessible to many citizens.
Health: Govt moves to decentralise mental health care as But
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Govt moves to decentralise mental health care as Butabika overwhelms
The proposed shift would enable more patients to receive mental health services closer to their communities instead of relying on Butabika, the country's main national referral facility for mental health care.
Butabika National Referral Mental Hospital. (File)
The Ministry of Health is moving to strengthen mental health services at regional referral and general hospitals as Butabika National Referral Mental Hospital struggles to cope with the growing number of patients seeking specialised care.
Dr Joseph Okware, the Ministry of Health Director of Health Services, Governance and Regulation, said Butabika is overwhelmed, while many regional referral and lower-level facilities lack the specialists, infrastructure and medicines needed to diagnose and treat mental health conditions.
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