Burns Unit
Welcome to the Chris Hani Baragwanath Burns Unit which comprises the WITS Roy McAlpine Burns Unit and the Paediatric Burns Unit— the largest and most advanced adult burns care facility on the African continent. Here, every life matters, every scar tells a story of survival, and every patient is treated with dignity, compassion and world-class medical excellence.
Our World Class Faculty
Find out more about the team leading the Baragwanath Burns Unit
Africa’s Flagship Burns Unit
Why We Exist?
🔥 To provide specialised, life-saving care for adult burn survivors
🌍 To serve patients from Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North-West and beyond
💛 To offer hope, healing and dignity to every patient who walks through our doors
🎓 To teach, research and innovate, shaping the future of burn care in Africa
Here, patients don't just survive — they are given the chance to live again.
Today, the Baragwanath Burns Unit stands proud with state-of-the-art ICU facilities, advanced surgical theatres, a dedicated skin lab, an academic auditorium and a full multidisciplinary recovery team — making it a lifeline for over 28 million people in our referral range.
Where Hope Begins Again!
General Ward Beds
Fully Equipped ICU Beds
6
High Care Beds
2
Hydrotherapy Dressing Rooms
2
Advanced Operating Theatres
A Legacy Built on Compassion and Courage
From humble beginnings with only 16 beds, our journey has become a beacon of hope for millions across South Africa and neighbouring countries. What started as a single donation has grown into a continental centre of excellence where lives are not only saved — they are restored.
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Outpatient Department
Dedicated Therapy Rooms
On-site Auditorium
Skin Substitutes Laboratory
This is more than a unit — it is a centre of excellence designed to save lives at scale.
Published Research & Clinical Contributions
Advancing Burn Care for Africa and the World
Our mission goes beyond treatment — we are shaping the future of burn care through research, academic training and clinical innovation.
Learn How to Give First Aid for Burns
It empowers individuals with the skills to calmly handle emergencies, increases community safety through widespread awareness of hazards and prevention, and reduces the severity and duration of injuries, leading to better outcomes.
Your support becomes someone else's miracle.
A Heartfelt Thank You to Our Partners
None of this would be possible without the generosity of The Roy McAlpine Foundation, Wits University, the Department of Health, and every donor, nurse, doctor and therapist who has stood in the gap for burn survivors.
Together, We Turn Survival into Victory
When a burn happens, seconds matter. When a life is on the line, compassion matters even more.
Here, every patient is more than a case — they are a story worth fighting for.