VOGUE WARRIORS

She’s the healthcare worker on the front line, the scientist in the laboratory, the essential service worker on the street and the samaritan feeding the hungry. Meet 12 of the heroes from our digital campaign, a tribute to the women of India who are leading the battle against COVID-19 as well as working tirelessly behind the scenes.

- ROHAN HANDE, SNIGDHA KULKARNI

K K SHAILAJA

MINISTER FOR HEALTH, SOCIAL JUSTICE AND WOMAN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT, GOVERNMENT OF KERALA, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

For months, there’s been talk about the ‘Kerala model’ and how the state has managed to have India’s lowest mortality rate. But how does a state with limited revenue effectively manage a pandemic of such magnitude? Practice helps. Kerala has a long experience with infectious diseases (H1N1, Nipah), but KK Shailaja’s cohesive leadership is navigating the state through the pandemic, once again. “What worked for us was our systematic approach, communication with the public, and teamwork,” she says. “Wuhan University had students from Kerala and we knew that if they returned, we’d have to be careful. So we formed a rapid response team.” On January 30, India registered its first case in Kerala from a student who returned from China. As of May 26, 542 people have recovered from the infection, with seven deaths so far. But she proceeds cautiously: “This virus is not like others. Many people test positive then negative within days, but others take upward of 30 days to test negative. In Kerala, we have it under control, but if we get overconfident we may have a second wave.”

- By Manju Sara Rajan

REMA RAJESHWARI

DISTRICT POLICE CHIEF, MAHABUBNAGAR