K. K. Shailaja

Shailaja was born on 20 November 1956 to K.K.Kundan and K. K. Shantha.[2]

She obtained her Bachelor of Science from Pazhassi Raja N. S. S. College, Mattanur and Bachelor of Education from Visvesvarayya College in 1980. She then served as a high school teacher at Shivapuram. After a seven-year service, she retired in 2004 for full-time political action.

K. K. Shailaja is married to K. Bhaskaran since 19 April 1981, and they have 2 sons. She stated that her hobbies include reading and listening to music.

CPI (M), Central Committee Member, Janadhipathya Mahila Association State Secretary. She represented Koothuparamba in 1996 and Peravoor in 2006. She was the editor of the Shylaja Mahila Association's Shrine Mahila Association, a district secretary, state secretary and secretary of the All India Mahila Association.

In 1996 she was elected to the Koothuparamba constituency from Peravoor constituency. The constituency lost from Peravoor constituency in 2011 after the constituency rebuilding. She represented Koothuparamba in 1996 and Peravoor in 2006 in the Kerala Legislative Assembly. Shailaja won a total of 67,013 votes in the Koothuparamba constituency in Kannur district, winning by a margin of 12,291 votes. In the Pinarayi Vijayan ministry, she is the minister of Health and Social Welfare.

As Health Minister, Shailaja Teacher has come to be highly regarded for her unwavering commitment and strong work ethic. As quoted from one of her colleagues in the Health Department: "She is a tough taskmaster. It doesn't matter if it's midnight or if she is having any ailments, the minister is there to monitor every arrangement. In the case of nCoV prevention and control, the minister is leading from the front by convening assessment meetings daily,"[3]

Her leadership during the Nipah and COVID-19 outbreaks was lauded by everyone.[4][5] She had set up a team which enabled the fast diagnosis and further management of the deadly viruses. The film Virus is based on the Nipah virus outbreak in the state. In this film Revathi portrayed the character based on her.

From proactively implementing a strict contact-and-trace program right from when the first virus cases in India were identified (3 students who traveled from Wuhan in January 20, 2020), to widespread communication on the State's efforts, to housing and feeding migrants trapped in the nationwide lockdown, Shailaja Teacher's commitment to steering Kerala's efforts has been unparalleled.[6]

When the outbreak started, each district was asked to dedicate two hospitals to Covid-19, while each medical college set aside 500 beds. Separate entrances and exits were designated. Diagnostic tests were in short supply, especially after the disease reached wealthier western countries, so they were reserved for patients with symptoms and their close contacts, as well as for random sampling of asymptomatic people and those in the most exposed groups: health workers, police and volunteers. Shailaja says a test in Kerala produces a result within 48 hours.[7] Till around mid-March, she was also actively giving daily press briefings updating the state's citizens on the status of the pandemic and the steps being taken to quell the spread. Despite the odds (Kerala has porous borders, a large number of migrant workers, and a huge expatriate population who keep traveling back and forth), more than 3 months after the outbreak of the pandemic, the state has reported four deaths and 630 confirmed cases of the infection - a far smaller percentage of fatalities than the rest of India (0.6% vs. a national average of 3.7%). More than 100,000 people remain in isolation, at home or in designated facilities. The state governments monitoring was huge. By the last week of May 2020, K.K Shailaja and her team contacted 4.3 million people, monitored their condition daily by setting up a war room (control room).[8] Kerala has flattened the curve at a time when the infection is on the rise all over India.[9] K.K Shailaja has received international attention for her leadership in tackling COVID-19 pandemic in Kerala.[6][10][11][12][13] She was invited by the United Nations to participate in a panel discussion on United Nations Public Service Day 2020, for her efforts to fight Covid 19  in her state on June 23, 2020.[14][15] The Guardian described her as "coronavirus slayer" and "rock star health minister".[16][17] BBC News featured her along with Jung Eun-Kyeong (South Korea), Sun Chunlan (China), Chen Wei (China), Li Lanjuan (China), Ai Fen (China), Xie Linka (China) for Asian women corona fighters.[18] She was also featured by Vogue Magazine for her Corona Warriorship.[19]