Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital (CHBAH), located in Soweto, Johannesburg, is the largest hospital in the southern hemisphere and one of the largest in the world. Spanning 173 acres, the hospital operates with approximately 3,200 beds and employs over 6,760 staff members. Known locally as ‘Bara,’ the hospital is home to one of the busiest trauma centres in the world. In 2003, the Trauma Directorate was established by Professor Elias Degiannis, who served as its head for nearly 15 years. Under his leadership, the unit was transformed into a world-class trauma training facility, recognized for its high patient volume and the complexity of cases treated.

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What sets the unit apart is the high burden of penetrating trauma, including gunshot wounds, stabbings, as well as other forms of violent trauma that are less commonly seen in first-world countries. While many trauma centres in developed nations primarily manage injuries sustained from blunt force trauma such as road accidents or falls, South Africa faces a unique burden of trauma due to a range of social and economic factors. This has given CHBAH’s trauma surgeons unparalleled expertise in managing complex, high-stakes cases that involve multiple organ injuries and require advanced surgical intervention.