Helen Zille, the Executive Mayor of Cape Town officially on Monday renamed one of the busiest health facilities in the City of Cape Town after the former Executive Director of Health, Dr Toms, on Monday.

The R 9,38 million Clinic is expected to provide medical assistance to 500 daily.

Dr Toms started his local government work in 1980 by setting up a clinic in Crossroads. From 1991 to 1993 he was National Co-ordinator: Service Development in the National Progressive Primary Health Care Network, where he ran projects in rural and peri-urban informal settlements. He was Director of the Students’ Health and Welfare Centres Organisation (SHAWCO) from 1993 to 1996.

In 1999 he became Director of Health Services for the City of Cape Town and became a member of the top management team and Executive Director for this portfolio in September 2006. The statement said.

Zille said: “I still remember when Dr Toms was still young. He was strong and working very hard. I have worked with him for many years. He was rude sometimes, but he worked very well. He provided health services for people as that is a part of the City.”

Dr Toms died of meningitis at his Mowbray home on 24 March 2008, evoking a flood of tributes from all quarters of society.

Dr Toms led his department to exceed its own targets for reducing the City’s HIV/Aids and TB infection rates, achieving the best success rate in the country, Zille said. The unveiling of plaque was also witnessed by Pierre Uys, the MEC for Health in Western Cape, Dr Ivan Bromfield, Executive Director of City Health, councillors and members of th community.

Uys said the rate of HIV/AIDS, TB AND Diabetes is about 50 percent at Mfuleni and Khayelitsha.

Uys said: “The facility will really render the services to you and it will be accessible to you. Primary health care is a foundation for public health.”

Erna Peters, Clinic Manager said: “The facility is much needed in this community. TB and HIV is high here. We deal with about 5000 people every month. It is a great honour to have this facility.”

The clinic was built in 2006. Its primary aim is to serve the residents from the informal settlements of Burundi/Congo, Endlovini, Khayelitsha RR section, Greenpoint and Unity Zone.

Services are rendered on Monday to Fridays, from 07:30 to 16:30.

These include treatment of reproductive health issues, sexually transmitted diseases, sick children under 13 years of age, tuberculosis, voluntary counselling and testing for HIV, HIV Child Transmission clinic, an ante-natal clinic, a youth clinic, and schools and community outreach projects, according to the statement.