Mental illness patients overwhelm Jinja Hospital
Apr 01, 2005
DR. Joyce Nalugya, a psychiatrist at Jinja hospital, has expressed worry over the increasing numbers of patients who visit the psychiatric unit at the referral hospital.
By Esther Mukyala
DR. Joyce Nalugya, a psychiatrist at Jinja hospital, has expressed worry over the increasing numbers of patients who visit the psychiatric unit at the referral hospital.
She said 2,400 patients were treated at the psychiatric unit in 2003. This increased to 6,000 in 2004 and the figures could be much higher this year.
Nalugya said the prevalence of mental disorders in communities was between 12.6% and 40% in the general out-patients clinics worldwide. About 41.5% of the patients attending HIV/AIDS clinics in Kampala alone had depressive illness.
“There is need to create awareness in our communities about the magnitude of the mental health problem,†Nalugya said. She was addressing a gathering to mark Busoga regional mental health day at Busoga Square on Wednesday. The day’s theme was “Body and Mind inseparable.â€
Nalugya, however, said while the problem of mental health was immense, the region had few mental health service providers.
Most health care personnel lack skills in identifying mental health problems and lack enough drugs to cover the whole region.
Nalugya said most health units do not keep records and, therefore, do not report mental health problems while the budgets for mental health programmes were so small.
She appealed to the ministry of health, Jinja hospital and the districts to increase their budgets on mental health programmes. She expressed the need to create more posts for psychiatric nurses and psychiatric clinical officers at the district and the region.
The region has one psychiatrist, four psychiatric clinical officers and a few nurses.
Dr. Musisi Ssegane, the psychiatry head of department at Mulago hospital, said Mulago was training all cadres of mental health problems.
He called for decentralised trainings to benefit all health workers at all levels, traditional healers inclusive.
He appealed to all people to support the mental health cause and improve the quality of life.
Ends
DR. Joyce Nalugya, a psychiatrist at Jinja hospital, has expressed worry over the increasing numbers of patients who visit the psychiatric unit at the referral hospital.
She said 2,400 patients were treated at the psychiatric unit in 2003. This increased to 6,000 in 2004 and the figures could be much higher this year.
Nalugya said the prevalence of mental disorders in communities was between 12.6% and 40% in the general out-patients clinics worldwide. About 41.5% of the patients attending HIV/AIDS clinics in Kampala alone had depressive illness.
“There is need to create awareness in our communities about the magnitude of the mental health problem,†Nalugya said. She was addressing a gathering to mark Busoga regional mental health day at Busoga Square on Wednesday. The day’s theme was “Body and Mind inseparable.â€
Nalugya, however, said while the problem of mental health was immense, the region had few mental health service providers.
Most health care personnel lack skills in identifying mental health problems and lack enough drugs to cover the whole region.
Nalugya said most health units do not keep records and, therefore, do not report mental health problems while the budgets for mental health programmes were so small.
She appealed to the ministry of health, Jinja hospital and the districts to increase their budgets on mental health programmes. She expressed the need to create more posts for psychiatric nurses and psychiatric clinical officers at the district and the region.
The region has one psychiatrist, four psychiatric clinical officers and a few nurses.
Dr. Musisi Ssegane, the psychiatry head of department at Mulago hospital, said Mulago was training all cadres of mental health problems.
He called for decentralised trainings to benefit all health workers at all levels, traditional healers inclusive.
He appealed to all people to support the mental health cause and improve the quality of life.
Ends