Dr. Dave Sinha, BMED, MD, FCFP, CHT
Dr. Dave Sinha, founder of Synergy Collaborative Health in Cochrane Alberta, has made an incredibly generous commitment to sponsor a sight-restoring surgery every day and each time a patient accesses a third party aesthetic service at Synergy or an affiliated satellite site.
We had the opportunity to talk with Dr. Sinha to learn why medicine and giving back through Seva Canada was so important to him.
Seva: Can you please tell us a bit about yourself and why you went into medicine?
Dr. Sinha: I am a family physician with a procedural medicine and psychotherapy practice. My wife Swati, is a paediatric hospitalist at the Children’s Hospital. We have two dogs and spend a lot our free time walking in beautiful places as a family!
As long as I can remember, medicine has been my inspiration! As I began to consider a profession, there was a desire to do no harm in any way. When I discovered the physician’s core principle to be, ‘primum non nocere’ meaning ‘first. do no harm’ – it resonated profoundly. I felt that if the essence of life was love and to serve its singular expression, being a doctor was deeply aligned. Finally, I was looking for a career that could be a means to a greater understanding – of myself, of life, of our existence. In medicine, with its proximity to birth, death, suffering, and healing – the intricacies of science and the breadth of humanity – the universal is ever present, both imminent and transcendent.
Seva: What is Synergy Collaborative Health and why did you create it?
Dr. Sinha: We are an interdisciplinary team of healthcare professionals serving from Cochrane, Alberta. Our collaborative approach is integrative, evidence-based, and most of all – grounded in compassion. At Synergy, we believe that healing, one could say, is as much about tending to the fruit as laying the axe to the root. Our services span the breadth of medicine, from innermost to outermost – from psychotherapy to medical aesthetics.
The Synergy Collaborative Health Team
Our team consists of physicians and surgeons who through medications and procedures address the most gross manifestation of disease. We work with a psychologist and hypnotherapist who shed light on the deeper mental and emotional antecedents, while practitioners with specialized training in Ayurveda, naturopathy or functional nutrition, may address the behaviours and biochemistry from which the condition arose.
Synergy was founded, as I was seeking a space which resonated with what I had experienced and knew within, was the essence of healing. As Mahatma Gandhi said, “be the change you wish to see in the world.” This coming together of potential, people and perspectives is the heart of ‘Synergy’.
Seva: Why did you decide to support Seva Canada and specifically sight-restoring surgeries?
Dr. Sinha: From the moment I came upon Seva and the work – I was in awe. Seva’s vision and mission to eradicate blindness touched me deeply. My wife grew up next to a school for the blind and I knew how devastating a disability it could be for an individual, as well as for a family and community. Restoring sight, to me, is no less than a miracle.
Restoring sight, to me, is no less than a miracle. – Dr. Sinha
When I learned that there are 36 million people in the world who are blind, and that 4 out of 5 could be cured with a safe and effective procedure – I was inspired. That 5 million people have had their sight restored is a testament to Seva’s integrity and the dedication of its volunteers.
Finally, the connection to Dr. Brilliant and Neem Karoli Baba, sealed the deal; confirming that this miracle was something I had to be a part of! This lead to making a commitment to sponsor a sight-restoring surgery every day and each time a patient accessed a third party aesthetic service at Synergy or an affiliated satellite site.
Seva: In learning about eye care in low-income countries what was something that surprised you?
Dr. Sinha: I didn’t realize that the overwhelming majority of people who were blind in the world could be helped with a simple procedure now rendered accessible through the work of Dr. Venkataswamy.
Most of all, I was surprised that something so life-altering could be achieved with so little. That just $50 dollars was needed to restore someone’s sight and dignity – perhaps ending a lifetime of suffering for a family.
When I think that there are children who may have otherwise lived a lifetime never seeing a sunrise or the faces of those who love them – who may be held back in sharing their gifts with the world – I am ever grateful to Seva and the compassion they share. A service that resonates with our mission at Synergy to, “Care. Comfort. Cure.”
Learn more about Synergy Collaborative Health at www.synergycochrane.com
