Healer and son to the elderly

MANILA, Philippines – Everyday, a good number of lolos and lolas seeking medical attention crowd the lobby of Life Extension Medical Clinic in Paco, Manila. They all come to see Dr. Gary Sy, a Gerontology and Geriatrics specialist who has earned the reputation among the geriatric community as both a “healer and son” to many elderly.  

“He treats us like his own parents,” says a grandfather who has been seeing the good doctor for several years not only for medical advice but for the kind of care and attention he is sure to get in his every visit.  In a typical consultation with Dr. Sy, every patient is given the liberty of time to voice out his concerns both on his physical and emotional well-being. This has been his way to fully and deeply comprehend each of his patients’ concerns.

“It is highly important to establish rapport with your patients, because a lot of them are emotionally distressed,” says Dr. Sy of his ward. He has often encountered elderly who are not only debilitated by their physical ailments but are also weakened by their feeling of insignificance in the society and within the confines of their own homes. “Some of them are even being ignored by their own family,” adds the revered physician.

For these destitute few, a consultation with the doctor has meant more than a routine check-up. It has paved the way for them to regain a sense of self-relevance that they seem to have lost upon reaching their twilight years.  Dr. Sy averagely spends an hour per patient during consultations, often with only 15 minutes of the time spent on health concerns to leave more time for other life matters.

A comforting hug, a listening ear and a shoulder to cry on are sincerely and willingly given during these one-on-one sessions.  “I believe that not all illness can be cured by drugs,” he says, “Sometimes, what the patients, especially the elderly, truly need is sincere human interaction.”

Dr. Sy has gone the extra mile in the aim of empowering older folks to take charge of their health. Going beyond the confines of his own clinic, he continues to reach out and make help more accessible to different communities of elderly through the help of television, radio, print, on-ground events, and even on-line networking.  

His Gabay sa Kalusugan health seminars has enabled him to share his knowledge in health and medicine to the geriatric communities in the different provinces around the Philippines. His regular radio guestings (Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.) over DZRH Lunas Health Academy, health schooling on air, have also made geriatric guidance and assistance more accessible to the general public. He also gives out free advice on health concerns on-line via Facebook ([email protected]).

For in-clinic consultations, you may also visit Gary Sy at the Life Extension Medical Center, Ground Floor, Garden Plaza Hotel (formerly Swiss Inn), General Luna St., Paco, Manila.