Because doc knows best

Dr Pooja Mehta demonstrating ergonomic postures for housework

In a telephonic interview, doctors Aditya Daftary and Abhay Nene start off by speaking about being selfish. The reason being, they created a page called Lockdown Like Docs on Instagram to document their lives during this period and as a result, offer inspiration for others to follow suit - because they had nothing else to do. Daftary is a radiologist while Nene is a spine surgeon; a profession he explains is more of a "quality of life service than an essential service." Their explanation, to someone from a non-medical background, might not seem legitimate in the true spirit of selfishness but Daftary asserts, "It is selfish because doctors always need to be doing something even though the smartest thing right now is to not do anything."

Dr Abhay Nene jams to Michael Jackson's Heal the world

On the page, in one-minute videos, you can see the two talk about everything under the sun - waste management, dealing with long hours of sitting, and why we need a lockdown anyway. You can also spot Nene jamming to Michael Jackson's Heal the world, urging people to pick up an instrument. They've also put out an open call for doctors to submit their videos about how they are going about their lives; a few have already sent their submissions. Physiotherapist Dr Pooja Mehta offers tips on ergonomic postures while doing housework, for instance. "Our best character comes out in adversity. The page serves as a dual outlet for me because I would be meeting about 100 new people every day before this, which would give me immense satisfaction. Now there is nothing to do. So this was a way to reach out to people," Nene, 47, says.

Dr Abhay Nene

The idea was conceptualised a fortnight ago, and also bypasses the notion of doctors being serious or non-creative thinkers. "We are typically shy of social media. When we talk about it with our colleagues, they say, 'It's not our scene.' We want more doctors to come on board; the more the merrier," Nene says, attributing the page's light-hearted tone to Daftary's adventures in stand-up comedy. "I've always had an element of creativity. The comedian Ash Chandler was my patient and encouraged me to pick it up," he says. Daftary, 46, who quips that he resides in the cheapest part of Nepean Sea Road, says that he hopes the page takes on a life of its own post the lockdown. The primary aim, as always, will be to convey positivity coupled with productivity. He adds, "Our rules of engagement have changed and we need to be aware of that."

Dr Aditya Daftary

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