Soul Foundation, an organization that conducts mental health awareness and advocacy has held a Christmas party for the patients and staff of Butabika National Referral Mental Hospital.
The celebration which took place at Butabika Hospital on Friday, saw over 1,500 mentally ill patients served with a decent meal that can only be a dream to mentally ill patients at the hospital.
The party aimed to appreciate Butabika Hospital staff for their exceptional work in looking after mentally ill patients, and also serving a decent meal to patients.
Mentally ill people are in most cases avoided and abandoned by their families and the public for years.
Their families often leave them in the hands of the psychiatrists in mental hospitals.
However, Soul Foundation founder and Executive Director, Geraldine Opoka says holding a party and serving a decent meal to mentally ill patients makes them feel that they are not abandoned.
Speaking to ChimpReports, Mrs Opoka said that the public perception that being mentally ill means end of one’s world has to change.
“The subject of mental illness is very dark, dreary, sad and miserable. So miserable that people don’t want to speak about it, that if you are sick, you think that is the end of you. We are saying no. We are saying we must bring happiness, light and joy to mentally ill patients,” she said.
Being a hospital for mentally ill patients, there is a lot of stigma against the hospital, and its health workers.
This, Mrs Opoka said, has to change.
“I want the people who are out there to change how they feel about Butabika hospital. Everytime you mention Butabika Hospital, people feel negative. There is just a negative feeling around it. When we have parties like this, we neutralize that feeling, and we bring joy to the people inside the hospital. We bring hope to those who are inside and also those who are outside who are suffering in silence that they don’t need to hide.”
Opoka noted that one thing the public has to do is start talking positively about mental health, for people to know that life is challenging which could at anytime cause one to suffer mental illness.
Failed relationships, financial worries, lack of necessary life skills, drug abuse and many other uncertainties including the pressure to get a good job after school have caused enormous depression among Uganda’s young population.
Recently, Members of the Parliamentary Forum on Mental Health together with commissioners from the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, and Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development recently concluded their fact finding mission on the state of mental health in Uganda.
It was discovered that there are rising cases of depression among the youth and adolescents. Although the causes vary, all agree that a number of interventions should be put in place to help the country’s young population.
Opoka called on Ugandans to always speak out whenever they are faced with difficulties of life.
“We are keeping quiet because we think our situations are unique, they are the worst. And so, that grows in your mind until you start feeling like the world is not a place I want to live in anymore, yet if you speak up and especially if the people you speak up to listen to you, they can bring you to Butabika hospital, sooner they can take you to counselors or therapists, so that you get the help that you need.”
Uganda has only one National Referral Mental Health Institution, Butabika Hospital which was established in 1955.
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
Opoka said holding a Christmas party for Butabika, and serving a decent meal to mentally ill patients is worth it.
“We have thrown a party for the staff members where we have appreciated them for the work that they do, knowing that they take care of our patients. Being the only hospital or the only facility in this country that takes care of mentally ill patients is very challenging without a caretaker. They take on the full responsibility of caring for this patient and bringing them back to good health. So we thought we should appreciate them,” she said.
The Head of Nursing Department at Butabika Hospital, Angela Onyait applauded Soul Foundation and its partners for identifying with Butabika given that there is enormous stigma against the hospital and health workers who who work there.
“We are so privileged to have so many people identifying with us, they identify with the patients, but they also identify with the people that work here. You are all aware that there is a lot of stigma against this place but also against the people who work here. We are so happy to have such a large list of partners and friends that identify with us,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Assistant Commissioner – mental health in the Ministry of Health, Dr Hafsa Lukwata who was the chief guest, called on Butabika Hospital to conduct more research about mental health, and make publications on the subject.
“Research is part of treatment because when you treat a patient basing on research, it is better than treating a patient basing on theory. Let’s have some mental health research being done by the right people, not any other person who gets interested. Mental Health has come to another level. Everyone seems to have an interest in mental health. Please, come up. Let’s do research, and see that we publish so that Uganda gets onto the map where it is supposed to be. I know we have done quite a lot, but we need to do more. Until we document what we are doing, many people will not know the good things we are doing,” she said.