Built in 1955 as Uganda’s National Referral Hospital for mental health, Butabika Hospital is the only facility in the country that offers free treatment, feeding, accommodation, clothing (uniforms) to patients. Despite being built with a capacity of 500 in-patients, today the hospital has over 1000 in-patients. The result is a stretch on all resources including sanitation and related infrastructure. With this background, we identified “building toilet and bathroom blocks” as one of our 2021 priority activities at the hospital.
Soul Foundation supported the hospital to design the appropriate plans and took on the task of mobilizing corporate sponsorship towards the construction. We are indeed grateful to our two partners on this project; MTN Foundation for immediately coming on board to fund the construction of the toilet and bathroom blocks amounting 335,000,000/- and KCCA Directorate of Public Health and Environment who agreed to provide the appropriate design along with the due guidelines for compliance.
The outcome is a first of its kind channel flash system with both toilet and bathroom facilities which is more hygienic, with efficient water usage while providing privacy to the patients. We know that patient welfare plays a big part in healing and critical to this is having good facilities.
To our partners at MTN Foundation and Kampala City Council Authority, we appreciate that you understood the need and came onboard immediately. Together we delivered the project despite the covid lock down interruptions and handed the facilities over on 17th February 2022.
