Butabika Faces Overcrowding Crisis, Patient Denied Admission

Wednesday, October 4, 2023
Butabika Hospital main gate. The hospital is overwhelmed due to alcohol and drug-related mental illnesses. Photo/Sylivia Katushabe
Busiinge Aggrey
4 Min Read

Kampala, Uganda | THE BLACK EXAMINER | Butabika National Referral Mental Hospital recently denied admission to a patient due to overcrowding, as disclosed by a senior government official. Dr. Henry G. Mwebesa, Director General of Health Services at the Ministry of Health, emphasized that many individuals suffer from mental health issues stemming from alcohol abuse.

“Attempting to secure a spot in the alcohol and drug unit for a friend, I was informed that there was no available space. The facility was at full capacity, underscoring the immense burden we face,” he remarked during a press conference organized by the Uganda Alcohol Policy Alliance (UAPA) at Parliament to mark World Alcohol Free Day.

Dr. Mwebesa stressed the necessity of addressing alcohol and drug abuse to alleviate hospital overcrowding. He pointed out that in 2020, a household survey conducted by the Uganda National Bureau of Statistics revealed that Karamoja had the highest alcohol consumption rate at 48 percent, primarily among young people. This was followed by West Nile at 15 percent.

Grace Bikumbi, a clinical psychologist at Butabika Hospital, revealed the hospital’s struggle to accommodate around 1,000 patients, with 40 percent of them seeking treatment for alcohol and drug-related issues. He noted that the hospital, designed for 550 beds, is now housing double the number of patients it can handle, most of whom are young individuals aged 18 to 25.

Dr. Mwebesa further emphasized that alcohol and drug abuse were major factors contributing to road accidents, domestic violence, poverty, and non-communicable diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and hypertension.

To combat these issues, he highlighted government measures, including the enactment of the National Alcohol Control Policy in 2019, the ban on small alcohol sachets in 2018, and the drafting of the National Alcohol Control Bill. Juliet Namukasa, Chairperson of UAPA, urged the government to expedite the passage of the National Alcohol Control Bill into law.

Geoffrey Macho, Chairperson of Uganda Parliamentary Forum on Mental Health and Member of Parliament for Busia Municipality, called for regular inspections by the Uganda National Bureau of Statistics (UNBS) to ensure compliance with alcohol production standards and to combat the sale of adulterated alcohol.

He also recommended that local governments establish bylaws and ordinances to regulate alcohol consumption. Sarah Opendi, the Tororo District Woman MP, echoed the call for responsible alcohol consumption and emphasized the need to license alcohol businesses.

She revealed that approximately 65 percent of alcohol in Uganda is not licensed. Ms. Opendi mentioned that a Private Members Bill seeking to regulate alcohol’s production, importation, sale, and consumption was in the final stages of preparation and would soon be presented in Parliament.

Statistics from the Uganda National Household Survey in 2014 indicated that 26.8 percent of the population were alcohol users, with a high prevalence of heavy episodic drinking among young people aged 15 to 19. The 2018 World Health Organization’s Status report on alcohol and health showed that Uganda’s Alcohol Per Capita Consumption (APC) was 9.4 liters, with a higher APC of 25.8 liters among drinkers aged 15 and above.

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