Gulu, Uganda: For over 15 years, George Oroma has worked as a mortuary attendant at Gulu Regional Referral Hospital, handling up to 10 bodies a day, each encounter adding to the emotional burden he carries. Yet in the face of relentless grief, Oroma has found an unlikely form of therapy: football.
Despite the Ministry of Health’s mandate to ensure healthcare for all Ugandans, mortuary services and the mental wellbeing of workers like Oroma remain neglected. There is no public plan or package in place to support their psychological health.
“Responsibility anchors me, even when grief weighs heavy,” Oroma said. “Coping mechanisms like football help bridge the gap between duty and despair. They remind me that life’s fragility demands both strength and escape.”
Each evening after work, Oroma immerses himself in the electric atmosphere of football matches, using the game to release emotional stress and momentarily step away from the haunting stillness of the mortuary.
“I don’t just watch football for fun—it’s my escape, my therapy,” he said, urging government recognition of the mental toll mortuary attendants endure. “Support is not a luxury—it’s a necessity.”
Mental health experts agree.
Ocen Daniel Comboni, Project Officer with Mental Health Uganda, said mortuary workers suffer “unseen scars” from prolonged exposure to trauma. “If left untreated, this can develop into anxiety, depression, or PTSD,” he said, urging early intervention and community sensitization to reduce stigma.
“These individuals are essential frontline workers, yet they’re often viewed with fear or contempt. They deserve dignity, not discrimination,” he added.
Enyou Charles, a psychiatric clinical officer at the same hospital, noted that football offers a trauma-informed space for healing. “It helps regulate the nervous system, builds resilience, and fosters a sense of belonging—all crucial for trauma recovery,” he said.
Charles emphasized that sports can significantly reduce stress, promote physical and psychological well-being, and create community ties that are vital for healing. “Teamwork, shared joy, and exercise give mortuary workers the human connection they’re often deprived of,” he noted.
Oroma’s family remains worried. His father, Ocen Christopher, said they’ve repeatedly advised him to quit the job, but the fear of unemployment and pressure to support his family kept him locked in. “Poverty is the worst form of violence,” he said, calling on the government to provide loans or alternative income support to allow traumatized workers to transition to healthier professions.
A close friend of Oroma’s, speaking anonymously, said stigma has also isolated the mortuary attendant socially. “It’s hard to connect with him. His work surrounds him with death, and it affects how people relate to him. But despite it all, he shows up every day, doing a job most can’t bear to think about,” he said.
Dr. Richard Komakech, also based at Gulu Regional Referral Hospital, described the conditions mortuary workers face as “inhumane.” He pointed to issues like unclaimed bodies, poor sanitation, low salaries, and lack of supplies.
“Mortuary workers deserve better. They should have a dedicated budget, better pay, and improved working conditions. The current system sets them up for burnout and trauma,” Komakech said.
Residents echoed the call for reform.
Morris Abola, a resident of Gulu City, decried the mortuary’s inadequate infrastructure. “Bodies are sometimes left outside due to lack of space. It’s disrespectful to the dead and painful for their families,” he said, calling on the Ministry of Health to build a permanent, modern mortuary facility.
Uganda’s mental health burden continues to rise. The World Health Organization reports that 4.6% of Ugandans suffer from depressive disorders, while The Lancet Psychiatry estimates that nearly 32% of the population—about 14 million people—live with mental health conditions. Yet in low- and middle-income countries like Uganda, 85% of people with depression receive no treatment.
As the football pitch fills with shouts and cheer, George Oroma finds his moment of peace. In that shared joy, surrounded by strangers who unknowingly help him heal, he regains a piece of the humanity his job often strips away.
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