Mbeya — A HEALTH herbal practitioner Gayo Sanga has called for great state involvement in protecting Tanzania's rare herbal plants, saying the plants are as valuable as rare minerals and gems.

He said at their Sun Rise pavilion at John Mwakangale grounds here that Tanzania was gifted with precious medicinal plants that should be protected and the state should initiate exhaustive research on their use in treating Tanzanians and foreigners.

"I am a simple Tanzanian, calling for greater involvement of the state in protecting herbal plants and their use in treating our people.

This kind of effort calls for exhaustive research," Mr Sanga said, adding that herbal treatment of people should be part of promotion of the tourism industry.

He said the cardinal issue in the health sector was to save lives and reduce agony and suffering.

"You see, people know me as Dr Sanga because we treat patients at our place using Tanzania's herbal plants but I am not a conventional doctor; I have never been in a classroom of a college of health sciences.

The important thing in the health sector is to save lives and eliminate pain and suffering. This, we do at our place," he quipped.

Mr Sanga thanked the government for giving general support to alternative medicines but insisted that the state has a special responsibility in cooperating with herbal practitioners in protecting Tanzania's herbal plants.

According to him, some species are on the verge of extinction, noting that they retain them at their botanical garden.

Mr Sanga added that they were using ointment extracted from dendirian plant to treat sores of diabetics and other sores linked with cancer.