South Africans are encouraged to partake in the #Socks4Docs campaign on Friday.
The challenge is to wear colourful, funky socks and to post a photo on social media with the hashtag #Socks4Docs to show support to numerous health workers, who may be facing depression, as they fight through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pharmaceuticals company, Cipla has partnered with the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG), to become involved in the #Socks4Docs campaign in South Africa – originally started by an Australian doctor, Geoff Toogood.
Toogood, who has experience with both depression and anxiety, seeks to reduce the stigma associated with depression
Cipla says like most South Africans, doctors are often too scared or embarrassed to admit they have a mental health problem and seek help.
“The central message of the campaign is that doctors are just like everyone else – simply humans, dealing with a lot of ‘stuff’, in a world that relies heavily on them. By doing something as fun and simple as wearing colourful, funky socks on Friday, 5 June, South Africans will be (literally) standing in solidarity alongside these extremely important members of our society,” said Paul Miller, CEO of Cipla South Africa.
The #Socks4Docs campaign comes after the successful launch of The Lockline, a short-form, web-based comedy series featuring well-known SA personalities, which aims to create awareness around mental health issues South Africans are facing during the COVID-19 lockdown. The show features Sipumziwe ‘Pags’ Lucwaba and Lihle Msimang as life coaches offering wisdom and sharing lockdown coping methods with callers, with famous faces, such as Khanyi Mbau, Graeme Smith, Ntando Duma and Lasizwe dropping in to add their voices and chaos to the ’counselling’ on offer.
