According to the hospital's annual performance report covering July 2024 to July 2025, patient numbers have been on a steady rise for the past three years. The hospital treated around 94,000 patients in 2023, and the figure climbed to over 101,000 in 2024, before reaching nearly 120,000 in the latest reporting period.
The report shows that neurological and psychiatric disorders remain the leading causes of admission, with epilepsy and schizophrenia accounting for nearly half of all cases recorded.
Epilepsy most common condition
Epilepsy topped the list of illnesses treated at Ndera, with 36,097 patients, representing 29.08 percent of all those treated. It was followed by schizophrenia, a severe mental disorder characterized by distorted thinking and perception, which accounted for 24,991 cases (20.14 percent).
Surge in acute and bipolar disorders
The hospital also treated 10,349 cases of Acute and Transient Psychotic Disorder (ATPD), a short-term mental illness that can be triggered by stress, trauma, or substance use, representing 8.34 percent of total admissions.
Bipolar disorder, characterised by alternating episodes of depression and mania, affected 7,235 patients (5.83 percent), while depression accounted for 4,076 cases (3.28 percent).
Rise in substance abuse and trauma cases
Cases of Substance Use Disorders, including dependence on alcohol, cannabis, heroin, and other drugs, continued to rise, with 3,229 patients (2.7 percent) receiving treatment. These are primarily managed at the Icyizere Psychotherapeutic Center in Kicukiro District, which also provides specialized care for trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
In total, the hospital recorded 4,250 inpatients during the year under review.
Psychiatric and neurological cases
Out of the total caseload, 66,335 were psychiatric patients, while 53,524 suffered from neurological disorders, making up 44.67 percent of all admissions. Neurological conditions treated include stroke, dementia, and chronic headaches, among others.
The report emphasizes that CARAES Ndera's services extend beyond mental illness, countering the long-held perception that it treats only psychiatric conditions. The hospital now plays an expanding role in managing neurological and neurodevelopmental disorders.
Rising demand exceeds hospital capacity
Hospital officials say that patient demand continues to outpace the facility's capacity, pushing operations to 116 percent of what it was designed to handle.
'We are now operating beyond our capacity, treating up to 116 percent of what the facility was originally built for,' said Frère Nkubiri Charles, the hospital's Director General.
Nkubiri noted that 45 percent of patients come from Kigali City, with the hospital experiencing sustained growth in mental health cases following the Covid-19 pandemic.
'Globally, Covid-19 led to about a 30 percent increase in mental health disorders,' he explained. 'Our figures were slightly below that, but we still observed noticeable rises in depression, anxiety, and trauma-related conditions.'
