Butabika National Psychiatric Hospital is in an advanced stage of acquiring a modern Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI )X-ray machine.
The new machine will support the hospital in improving its capacity to carry out specialized diagnostic services to their clients.
According to Dr David Basangwa, the Hospital’s Executive Director, the machine is expected to cost UGX 3.5billion and will be shipped into the country at the beginning of May this year.
He said, that it will be in use at the beginning of June.
“As we continue to improve the quality of care at the National Referral Hospital for treating mental related illness, we are also working to improve diagnostic capacity to our patients.
“We recently acquired an X-ray machine that is being used to diagnose patients but it cannot offer advanced diagnostic services.
“It’s why the Government allocated us some resources to acquire a modern MRI machine which can diagnose all kinds of injury to the brains,” Basangwa explained to EABW Digital News in an exclusive interview.
He added that Ugandans need such advanced diagnostic services but the hospital has been finding it very difficult to carry out such advanced diagnostic due to the absence of an MRI machine.
Basangwa attributed the increased demand for such services on the increased number of accidents incurred by Ugandans especially as a result of Boda Boda accidents.
“Boda-Bodas are becoming a big challenge to the health sector. Most of our clients here who need brain diagnostic are as a result of the Boda-Bodas.
“Apart from the accidents, some come when they have depression and such conditions require specialized machines,” noted Basangwa.
An MRI is a type of scan that uses strong magnetic fields and radio waves to produce detailed images of the inside parts of the body.
An MRI scan can be used to examine almost any part of the body including Brains, spinal cord, bones and joints etc.
Its results can be used to help diagnose difficult conditions, plan for treatment and assess how effective the previous treatment was.
Asked whether there is a decline in the number of Ugandans suffering from mental Health, Basangwa said the numbers are still high especially among the youth due to drug addiction.
Basangwa said the health facility is attending to about 1300 patients daily.
The Mental Health Expert challenged the government to ensure that the laws and policies that regulate the consumption of alcohol and other drug’s such as tobacco are enforced by the relevant authorities.
BY SAMUEL NABWIISO
