The mental health division at the Ministry of Health has requested that parliament authorize UGX 1 billion to aid studies on security personnel’s mental health.
This was during a breakfast meeting with members of parliament, officials from Strong Minds Uganda, the ministry of education, and civil society at the Fairway Hotel in Kampala.
The request follows the shooting of Minister Charles Engola by his bodyguard early this month, Pte. Wilson Sabiiti, after it was reported that the guard had mental issues by those who were close to him.
This spurred several debates in the country about whether the mental health of the serving men and women in uniform should be constantly monitored and checked.
It’s against this background that the assistant commissioner of the Mental Health Division, Hasfa Lukwata, asked the parliament to approve and give UGX 1 billion to Ministry of health to make a prevalence study on all security personnel, especially the bodyguards and those returning from war.
According to experts, security personnel, especially those who have been in the distress of war, stand a higher chance of getting mental illness.
The following are some of the best mental health facilities that can be found in Uganda: the Butabika National Referral Mental Hospital, the Lacor Hospital, the Mulago National Referral Hospital, and the Gulu Psychiatric Hospital. Each of these facilities provides a range of mental health services, including diagnosis, treatment, and community outreach.
However, according to the World Health Organization, in low- and middle-income countries (where Uganda is located, like most African countries), 76% to 85% of people with mental disorders do not receive any treatment.
Mental health experts are hopeful that mental health will be prioritized in the country to avert incidences of extreme violence.