It is the mental health national referral hospital for the entire country's estimated population of 36 million in 2014.

This location is approximately 10.5 kilometres (6.5 mi), by road, east of Kampala's central business district.

[4] The hospital also serves as the psychiatric teaching hospital for Makerere University College of Health Sciences for both undergraduate and postgraduate training, especially for the degrees of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB), Master of Medicine in Psychiatry (MMed Psych) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in psychiatry.

[6] Whilst working at the hospital n the early 2000s, Etheldreda Nakimuli-Mpungu noticed a large number of HIV/AIDS patients were being admitted with serious mental health problems.

[7] This inspired her to begin a research programme which has since proven that culturally appropriate, group psychotherapy, which is led by non-professional practitioners is an effective treatment of depression in HIV patients, which has positive impacts on their physical health.