Mental health is an integral and essential component of health……
The World Health Organization constitution states: “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”
Butabika Hospital was established in 1955, and currently is the only National Referral Mental Health Institution in the Country.
It is located in Butabika, about 12 km East of Kampala City and it is the second biggest Hospital in Uganda with a bed capacity of 550, though the number often ranges between 850-1000 in patients and also handles a busy outpatient department with contact of about 350 clients per day in both the general and mental healthcare areas.
The hospital provides general and specialized mental health treatment for mental health patients and is a teaching hospital for a broad range of mental health specialists, from nursing to Post – Graduate students.
It also provides primary health care services to the people from the surrounding area as well as supports other hospitals within the referral system, technical advice to Health Service Commission and policy-making bodies and acts as a research Centre for Mental Health.
Butabika hospital serves as the psychiatric teaching hospital for Makerere University College of Health Sciences for both undergraduate and postgraduate training, especially for the degrees of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB), Master of Medicine in Psychiatry (MMed Psych) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Psychiatry. It serves as the center of the School of Psychiatric Clinical Officers (SPCO), a school administered by the Uganda Ministry of Health, which trains high school graduates to become Psychiatric Clinical Officers. It is the only school of its kind in Eastern Africa.
Vision:
A nation in complete state of physical, mental and social wellbeing as a necessity for development.
Mission:
To be a Center of Excellence in the country, offering Specialized Mental Health care Treatment, Training, and Research.
Mandate
Butabika Hospital offers general and specialized mental health treatment and support to the population of Uganda. We conduct mental health related research as well as serve as the teaching hospital for medical, nursing, clinical and other trainees in psychiatry and mental health.
Our core values
Integrity
We strive to maintain high ethical standards in all forms of care. We adhere to an uncompromising code of ethics that emphasizes complete honesty, transparency and sincerity. Through our words and actions, we earn the complete trust of our patients and their families, our community and our co-workers. We seek to do the right thing, always and everywhere, in our day-to-day work and lives.
Stewardship
We strive to maintain high ethical standards in all forms of care. We adhere to an uncompromising code of ethics that emphasizes complete honesty, transparency and sincerity. Through our words and actions, we earn the complete trust of our patients and their families, our community and our co-workers. We seek to do the right thing, always and everywhere, in our day-to-day work and lives
Accountability
Transparency and accountable manner to the patients, general public, government and other key stakeholders. We are responsible for our actions and focus on how each person can contribute to the success of the organization.
Excellence
Patients’ safety and health are the hospital’s first consideration. We strive to exceed expectations by providing services to our patients and co-workers in a timely and efficient manner and through continuous performance improvement. It is our commitment to ensure that every patient receives excellent care, service, and support at all times and at every point of service.
Clinical Department
Through multidisciplinary approach to healthcare, Butabika Hospital provide access to a wide variety of medical specialties for a full range of clinical services, as well as primary care. The unique approach brings together the work of physicians, nurses and other care providers across the hospital to ensure that patients receive comprehensive and personalized care.
This Department is composed of 5 units including;
- Mental Health
- Psychiatric Social Work Services
- Occupational Therapy
- Psychology Unit
- Private services
Nursing Department
Key Functions/Objectives
- To Provide Super Specialized, Curative and Rehabilitative Mental Health Services in the Country
- To Undertake and Support Mental Health Related Research.
- To Carry Out and Support Training in the Mental Health.
- To Provide Outreach and Mental Health Support Supervision to Kampala District and Regional Referral Hospitals.
- To Provide General Health Outpatient Services to the Neighboring Population.
- To Provide Advice to Government on Mental Health-Related Policies
- To Advocate for Mental Health in the Country.
Activities
- Carrying Out Operational Research
- Technical Support Supervision to Regional Mental Health Units
- International Nurses’ Day Celebrations & Scientific Conference
- Attending ECSACON Conference
- Continuing Nursing Education Sessions
- Study Visits Of 4 Nurses Abroad
- Professional Training for Nurses
- Study Visit Out of Hospital Within Uganda
- Monthly Meetings for Various Nursing Cadres
- Teaching, Mentoring and Coaching.
Support Services Department
Core Function
- To facilitate the Technical Departments, in their operations by ensuring the availability of support facilities so that they can deliver quality services.
The Department comprises the following units namely:
- Stores
- Finance
- Security
- Catering
- Mortuary
- Transport
- Planning and Development
- Maintenance
- Laundry unit
- Administration
- Human Resource
- Office management
- Procurement & Disposal
Services
- Health Care,
- Emergency Unit: open s 24-hour
- Provides well qualified doctors
- Test Reports
- Out Patient Service
ACCREDITATION JOURNEY IN BUTABIKA HOSPITAL
Butabika laboratory has been implementing Laboratory Quality Management Systems for 11years under the SLMTA program (Strengthening Laboratory Management towards Accreditation)
The laboratory started pursuing accreditation in June 2022 after a SLMTA exit audit. An assessment was done in March 2023 and accreditation status was granted in January 2024. Then the hospital received a license from the South African National Accreditation System (SANAS) which is valid up to 2028 on condition that quality standards are maintained which is evidenced through surveillance audits done by the accreditation Body annually. The hospital, therefore, undertook all the necessary steps listed above.