LDF, which is seeking a third consecutive term that would be unprecedented in the state’s history, would build on interventions made during its previous tenures, said Shailaja, the Left Front candidate for Peravoor constituency in Kannur district.
“We focused on improving the public health sector, creating 13,000 posts between 2016 and 2020, upgrading infrastructure, and converting primary health centres into family health centres,” she told ET while on campaign trail. “The idea was to make advanced facilities available to common people.”
Shailaja said the next phase would involve addressing staffing shortages and streamlining referrals, with minor ailments treated at lower-tier facilities while medical colleges focus on specialised care and research. She also flagged emerging risks from the private healthcare ecosystem, particularly the increasing presence of global investment firms such as Blackstone and KKR in hospital chains.
“When large investors enter, there is a concern that affordability will be impacted over time,” said Shailaja, who was the state health minister from 2016 to 2021. “Access to subsidised care may reduce, and it could become restricted to wealthier sections,” she said, adding that broader regulatory oversight from the Centre would be crucial.
Often referred to as the architect of Kerala’s Covid response that was highly effective during the first wave, Shailaja is pitted in a tight contest in Peravoor, where her main opponent is state Congress president and three-time MLA Sunny Joseph. She was the last LDF candidate to win the seat, in 2006, before losing it to Joseph five years later.
She won the 2021 assembly elections from Mattannur, also in Kannur district, with a majority of more than 60,000 votes. CPI(M) shifted her this time to a tougher constituency, saying she could defeat the state Congress chief.
