For the completion of the facility’s concrete perimeter wall, Dr. Juliet Nakku, Executive Director of Butabika National Referral Hospital, has requested a financial allocation of Sh5 billion in the 2023–2024 budget.
On April 3, 2023, when she was presenting the hospital’s ministerial policy statement to the Health Committee, she appealed.
“The wall is five kilometres long, but we have only built about half of it. Nakku stated, “We no longer receive construction budget.”
She emphasized the necessity of building the wall to prevent the frequent occurrences of patients escaping and drowning in the neighbouring marshes.
She also cautioned that if the wall is not finished, there will be an opportunity for more encroachment on the hospital’s property.
She disclosed that just 283 acres of the original 408 acres of land remain.
Dr. Charles Ayume, the committee’s chair, promised to discuss the situation with the minister of finance.
Since these patients are special cases, we must protect them, Ayume said, acknowledging that the ministry does not want to hear about building budgets.
According to Hon. George Bhoka (NRM, Obongi County), patient and employee security should come first.
Bhoka stated, “We need to reevaluate financing the construction of the perimeter wall.”
Hon. Ruth Lematia, a representative for Maracha East County, requested the government to take action to curb encroachment on the hospital’s property.
“The requests made by the hospital management are modest. We ought to aid in the hospital’s expansion, she said.
The hospital’s management was instructed by Hon. Yusuf Nsibambi (FDC, Mawokoto County South) to regain the encroached land through legitimate ownership and administratively revoke the titles that the Uganda Land Commission had issued.
“A wall might not be enough to stop encroachers alone. Nsibambi advised the Executive Director to reopen the hospital’s land, which the Uganda Land Commission had improperly distributed.
A centre for mental teaching and research, Butabika Hospital provides specialized mental health treatment as well as a few restricted general outpatient services.
