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ARUA - The South Sudanese Refugees Association in Uganda has set aside sh148 million to construct a trauma centre at Oli Health Centre IV in Arua City.

The project’s target is to scale down mental health and distress conditions among refugees and host communities in the West Nile region.

A trauma centre is a specialised facility equipped to provide counselling services for patients suffering from major general mental health and distresses arising from gender-based violence (GBV), drug abuse, rape, child abuse and extreme physiological illnesses among others.

Speaking during the groundbreaking ceremony of the facility at Oli Health Centre IV, the program development manager SSURA, Specioza Asara, noted with concern the low uptake of mental health services in the region yet the cases are on the rise.

Arua City Mayor Sam Wadri Nyakua appealed to the health workers to commit themselves to serving patients humanely.

Arua city resident city commissioner Charles Ichogor urged city authorities to write marketable proposals to attract support from development partners to undertake developments in the city.

Arua Central Division MP Jackson Atima Lee attributed the rising cases of mental illness and drug abuse to poor parenting.

According to a report from the Uganda Counselling Association and the health ministry, an estimated 14 million Ugandans are mentally sick.

This means that every 35 out of 100 Ugandans you meet may be battling a mental health problem, and that number is on the rise in Uganda.