Difficulties in Maintaining Physical Distance

Ali Lanewala*

I am a physician working as a kidney specialist in a renowned hospital. I am also the only doctor in my neighborhood, so my extended family members and neighbors regularly consult me for their health related problems. Previously, in more normal times, I used to welcome them warm-heartedly to our home and provide them with all possible help. It is our culture and tradition to make sure that all guests are treated with respect and love, and are offered something to eat or drink when they enter our homes.

As soon as the lockdown was announced, we were forced to maintain a physical distance from each other. Since I am working at the hospital, and am thus exposed, I take extra precautions to protect my own immediate family. I see extremely sick patients and although we are provided with personal protection equipment (PPEs), I shower and change my clothes immediately after coming home so that my family members have minimal exposure to the virus. 

Yesterday evening after I came home from work, a neighbor knocked on my door. He wanted to show me reports of tests that were done for diabetes. Under usual circumstances, he would have been welcomed into our home, the whole family would have greeted him and I would have given him the required medical advice. He was surprised when I walked out of the door and did not even shake his hand. Instead, I just took his reports and hastily told him that it was fine and he should see me again once the lockdown was over.

I did explain that to protect his family and mine I would not be able to invite him into our home. I jokingly told him that I would make up for it once the pandemic was over, but I could see the disappointment on his face. It got me thinking about the many ways in which this pandemic has affected our lifestyle and social norms.  The people around me are equally affected and disturbed by the pandemic. What is necessary at this moment, for our own well-being, is adherence to social distancing rules. But this goes against the social and cultural norms taught to us. We are culturally attuned to being closely connected and in distancing ourselves from each other, we work against every fiber of our being. The disturbance caused by the pandemic is augmented by the everyday reality of maintaining physical distance from our families and friends. It brings uncertainty, and change – something not everyone is willing to face.

* Ali Lanewala, MBE alumnus (2017), Associate Faculty, CBEC, Professor, Department of Pediatric Nephrology, Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation, Karachi, Pakistan