Hadn't met my family in two-and-a-half months: Kerala Health Minister K K Shailaja

Kerala Health Minister K K Shailaja reveals that she has only been able to meet her family once - after a two-and-a-half-month-gap in an interview by The Indian Express.

Shailaja has been recognised for her skilful handling of the crisis and the various measures implemented to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus across the state.

She follows all safety measures and urges others to the same, saying, “Since we have launched the ‘Break the Chain’ programme, I am very particular about not flouting any protocol. I maintain physical distance, wear a mask, wash my hands and use hand sanitiser frequently.”

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“I don’t remove my mask even when I am sitting alone in the office. I take extra care to maintain a two-metre distance when I talk to people. But still, you never know, you can contract the virus from anywhere,” she adds, according to the report.

Talking about her family life, she said that she hasn’t been able to meet them, and keeps in touch via video calls. “I reach my official residence only after 10 pm and get time to talk to my family around 11 pm. My husband, son, his wife and my two-year-old grand-daughter keep waiting for my call. My grand-daughter shows me her drawings on video calls. Talking to her helps me manage my stress. I talk about household matters with my husband. I also speak to my elder son who lives in Abu Dhabi with his wife and three-year-old son. After that, I read newspaper articles and editorials. At times, I watch videos on YouTube. I go to sleep around 12.30-1 am and get up by 6 am, and the cycle begins again.”

Kerala has recorded over 56, 354 coronavirus cases and 218 deaths.