A brief history
In the beginning (late 60's) there were a variety of single function units such as post-operative ventilation of cardio-thoracic cases. Dr Attie Dekok and Ferguson in the Cape ventilated pure respiratory case in their pulmonary units and there was the neonatal tetanus unit at King Edward VIII Durban that Dr Holloway set up with the help of Dr Keith Sykes.
The first multidisciplinary unit was opened in Addington in October 1970 by Alan White and Tony Coleman the professor of anaesthesia at the time. Dr Neil Goodwin, the first full time intensivist on the African continent, was brought out from Sweden to run the unit with the assistance of dedicated anaesthetic registrars. In the mid 70's units opened all over the republic, with the first Non-White ICU opening at King Edward VIII in November 74. Natal could be considered a leader in this sphere.
In 1977 there was correspondence in the SAMJ from Roy Cane JHB and Pieter DuToit from Bloemfontein, and others suggesting that there was a new speciality of intensive care which should be recognized and that an Intensive Care/Critical Care Medicine Society should be formed. The first meeting of interested parties was held in Bloemfontein that year.
Neil Goodwin was given the task of being a one man committee to draw up founding guidelines and a constitution. These were accepted at a subsequent meeting at Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto where Peiter DuToit was elected as first president, Neil Goodwin as vice president and Hugh van Hassalt of Johannesburg as treasurer. The constitution was officially accepted on 24th February 1978.
The society was not recognized by the Medical Association of South Africa (MASA) because it was open to membership to nurses, was multi-racial and represented Southern Africa not just RSA. We had several early members from the then Rhodesia including Mike James. Other prominent early members included Neil Buchanan a paediatric pharmacologist who went to Australia, a keen young lad Jeff Lipman and Mike Miller at Baragwanath Hospital who is now in New Zealand and Roy Cane who migrated to Chicago and later Florida USA.
The Society was involved in setting up the World Federation of Societies of Intensive and Critical Care Medicine. Dr Goodwin was instrumental in writing the original constitution and was elected to the first World council in Washington in 1981.
Since these early days the Critical Care Society of Southern Africa has grown with and active and dynamic membership who contribute to the body of knowledge as practitioners of the science and art of critical care.
The origins of the logo are quite interesting (and symbolic)! The outer "C" of the logo represents the chest wall. The inner "C" and "S" together represent the heart within the chest cavity. The lungs are represented as are the ventricles and aorta by the spaces within the letters.