The first Burmese police surgeon in British Burma, Ba Than founded and ran the main hospital in Rangoon (Yangon) as well as the wartime medical and nursing schools during the Japanese occupation of the country (1942–1945).

After the country's independence in 1948, Ba Than served several terms as dean and rector of the main medical universities in Rangoon and Mandalay until two months before his death in 1971.

Ba Than was born to U Kinn and Daw Swei in May 1895 in Pyuntaza, a small town about 140 km (87 mi) northeast of Yangon (Rangoon), in what was then British Burma.

[1][4] By then, Ba Than was part of the tiny colonial era medical community made up mainly of foreign-born physicians and specialists that existed primarily in Rangoon.

According to Myint Swe, who studied at RMC from 1939 to 1942, Ba Than and one Henry Aung Khin[note 3] were the only two surgeons of indigenous Burmese descent he knew of at the time.

[9]) Ba Than is best remembered for founding the main hospital in Rangoon to serve non-Japanese patients during the Japanese occupation of Burma (1942–1945) during World War II.

[10] Ba Than agreed, and in late March, with one other physician and an assistant, opened a "hospital" in the building of Anglican Diocesan School of Rangoon, with an outpatient clinic and a few beds.

With most trained personnel gone, he had to resort to taking in final year medical students and nurse trainees.

Under his leadership, the hospital became the main to-go place for all non-Japanese patients, not only the BIA/BDA and INA brass but also the ordinary servicemen and the general public.

The hospital operated under the watchful eye of Japanese agents, who planted themselves as longterm patients till the end.

Ba Than was an avid pianist and Burmese xylophonist, and he found time to organize small musical and opera performances by his staff for the patients.

[20] It was also the place where Gen. Aung San met his future wife Khin Kyi during his brief hospitalization in mid 1942.

Asahi, Suji, Horibe, and Shikuma) directly from Japan to join the hospital and the medical school.

[24] After Allied forces returned to Rangoon in May 1945, Ba Than was repeatedly questioned by the British as to why he stayed behind and cooperated with the Japanese.

[25] The British also restarted RMC as the Faculty of Medicine of Rangoon University in 1946, installing Dr. W. Burridge as its first dean, and later Lt. Col. Dr. Min Sein (husband of Dr. Yin May) in 1947.

He led the autopsies of Gen. Aung San and other cabinet officials who were assassinated on 19 July 1947, and later testified at the trial of the plotters.

In September 1948, he performed the post-mortem of Tin Tut, the first Foreign Minister of the newly independent country.

)[26] Ba Than also served as the head of the Department of Surgery from 1947 to 1959; he was succeeded by one of his wartime hospital colleagues, Dr. Kyee Paw.

[note 11] According to historian Robert Taylor, Ba Than was a "bon vivant known to enjoy the Turf Club and sports, as well as ladies".