A CARDIOLOGIST from India's Nayarayana Hrudulayala Heart Institute, Dr Pujar Suresh, says majority of Tanzanians risk getting diabetes and high blood pressure due to poor eating habits.

The heart specialist made the remarks in Dar es Salaam over the weekend shortly after examining about 200 patients at the Regency Medical Centre during a two-day free heart testing.

Dr Suresh noted that his examinations found out that the number of patients were overweight and shown signs of diabetes, whose cause is over eating as well as eating haphazardly.

He urged the government to take immediate actions by providing education to the public through mass media to save people from the risks.

"The people should be told on what to eat and how much. They should also be sensitized on exercising; if nothing is done this problem will escalate even more,” Dr Suresh said.

On the other hand, Agripina Mushi, a mother to three-year- old Catherine Peter, who underwent heart surgery at the Indian hospital in January this year, said her daughter was doing well after the treatment.

She said her daughter had an opening in her heart  and that one of her valves had a tendency of mixing dirty and clean blood and thus causing her a lot of problems.

"Before the surgery, she was not able to eat, she isolated herself and never played with her peers... But, she is doing good now after the surgery. The doctor has examined her and says she is fine,” said Agripina.

The Chairman of Regency Medical Centre, Dr Rajni Kanabar, said among the 200 patients examined during the exercise, 150 would be put on a list of patients to be taken to India for treatment  through support by various good Samaritans.

He explained further that, among the 150 patients, 100 are  children and 50 adults.