Anaesthesia has a proud history of training, practice and research recognised as world-class and has made a proud contribution to the development of medicine in South Africa. The College of Anaesthetists of South Africa is currently the only examining body for Anaesthesiology specialist examinations in South Africa, presently offering a Fellowship, Diploma and Sub-speciality Certificate in Critical Care. The College has grown from humble beginnings to one of the largest colleges under CMSA.

Anaesthesiology qualifications have been recognised since the inception of the Faculty of Anaesthetists under the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa in 1957. The College was initially a faculty under the College of Surgeons. The independent College of Anaesthetists was established under the auspices of the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa (CMSA) in 1998. The specialist qualification, then known as the Fellowship of the Faculty of Anaesthesia [FFA(SA], and subsequently as the Fellowship of the College of Anaesthetists [FCA(SA)], held the first Part 1 and Part 2 examinations during 1960 and 1961. The first Diploma in Anaesthesia was awarded in 1974, while the first Critical Care subspecialty certificate was awarded in 2002.

The mission of the College of Anaesthetists is to sustain and improve postgraduate medical education and training in Southern Africa as an independent examining body recognised both nationally and internationally. CASA also aspires to guide on issues affecting medical standards and the structure and function of healthcare services concerning anaesthesia and perioperative care and to remain an autonomous body for promoting and maintaining ethical and professional standards. The key goals are linked to its role as an examining/accreditation authority, providing education, and as an advisory and liaison group.

The College of Anaesthetists is administered by a council of 12 elected and co-opted members, chaired by a president, with an honorary secretary and a representative on the CMSA senate. The council's composition ensures the representation of all the major anaesthesiology training institutions in South Africa. CASA enjoys collaborative relationships with external stakeholders such as the South African Society of Anaesthetists and other Anaesthesiology colleges in neighbouring countries and overseas.

CASA functions under the CMSA banner in all important matters, including finances and legal issues.

For more information, please refer to the College of Anaesthetists website and these two references:

"A brief history of Anaesthesia in South Africa", by Peter C Gordon and Michael F James
https://jcmsa.org.za/index.php/jcmsa/article/view/53/36

The history of the College of Anaesthetists of South Africa, by Dean P Gopalan and C Daniel Southern African Journal of Anaesthesia and Analgesia. 2022;28(2):52-60 https://doi.org/10.36303/SAJAA.2022.28.2.2763