Butabika National Referral Hospital was filled with renewed warmth and compassion as the Butabika Veterans Association made a heartfelt visit to the hospital. Led by their Chairperson, Mr. Muhumuza John Amooti, the Association delivered a generous donation of footwear to patients an effort aimed at restoring dignity and reinforcing community support for mental health care.
The donation was officially received by Dr. Mutamba Byamah, Deputy Executive Director of Butabika Hospital, who praised the Association’s initiative:
Support like this reminds us that we are not alone in our mission. The Veterans Association continues to demonstrate what community-centered care truly means.
Speaking to hospital staff and guests, Mr. Muhumuza shared the Association’s journey since its inception in 2023.
We have now existed for two years, with 63 fully paid members mainly retirees and a few still in active service.
Reflecting on Uganda’s mental health journey, Mr. Muhumuza recalled the earlier days when psychiatric care was misunderstood and underutilized:
There was a time when people with severe mental disturbance were left alone in villages. Families didn’t always understand that what they called ‘madness’ often reflected psychiatric disorders sometimes pointing to deeper issues within the family itself.
He noted how psychiatric professionals once had to contend with traditional healers for influence over patient care and how community outreach helped shift perceptions:
We used to beg communities to bring their loved ones to hospital. Now, the system is overwhelmed with the increasing number of those seeking care. That’s a sign of progress, even with its challenges.
Now, the Veterans Association focuses on holistic support uplifting patients’ spirits, advocating for their rights, and standing in solidarity with hospital staff.
We believe healing goes beyond medication. We visit, talk, listen, and offer emotional and social support. And we continue to speak out against harmful attitudes especially families who abandon their relatives at the hospital, requesting they never be released. We are opposed to such inhumane thinking. Mental illness does not strip someone of their right to family, love, or hope.
The Association is funded by annual contributions from its dedicated member’s veterans of Butabika Hospital who consider this work a continuation of their lifelong service.
As the visit came to a close, Mr. Muhumuza expressed his deep gratitude to the hospital leadership:
To the Director, your administration, and the entire staff thank you for opening your doors to us, and for standing by the people who need you the most.
He said.
With boxes of shoes delivered and spirits lifted, the Butabika Veterans Association left behind more than just footwear. They left a powerful reminder: mental health care is everyone’s responsibility, and compassion has no retirement age.
