Thiruvananthapuram | Senior paediatrician Dr Malathy Damodaran, daughter of Communist stalwart and Kerala's first Chief Minister E M S Namboodiripad, died here on Saturday following age-related ailments, family sources said. She was 87.

Malathy passed away at her residence in Sasthamangalam in the morning, they added.

A well-known health practitioner in the city, she had earned wide respect for her work in paediatrics. She is survived by a son and a daughter.

Condoling her demise, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan described her "as a daughter who lived by the ideals of her father." In a statement, he recalled her contributions to the health sector and said she had made her mark as a popular paediatrician.

“Simplicity was her hallmark, and she possessed a scientific social perspective,” the CM said.

He added that Malathy had clear opinions on various socio-political issues and was a person who devoted herself to society and the Communist movement.

People from different walks of life also expressed condolences and remembered her for her simplicity and commitment to social ideals.