The Public Health Emergency Response Model of COVID-19 Pandemic in North-eastern Part of Thailand

Abstract

Introduction:

The pandemic of COVID-19 in the northeastern part of Thailand established the response mechanism to COVID-19.

Method:

This study aimed to explore the PHER model of the COVID-19 pandemic in three provinces located in northeastern Thailand. The target group was 78 people who were responsible for COVID-19 response from the sub-district, district, and provincial levels. The data was collected through in-depth and group interviews following the non-structure interview guide and data was analyzed by content analysis.

Results:

Two levels of the PHER model were: 1) The response of the provincial level related to national and global situations. The provincial’s measure of the COVID-19 response was run by the Provincial Communicable Disease Committee (PCDC) and followed by the COVID-19 Epidemic Administrative Center (CEAC). The core team was a public health subcommittee who ran the Emergency Operation Center (EOC) and COVID-19 pandemic. The PCDC launched the provincial measure, risk communication response to COVID-19, and issues of the pandemic from CEAC and EOC. 2) The response inside the provincial level two components of the structure were the PCDC and the PEOC and the district EOC. They composed the Situation Analysis Team (SAT) and Joint Investigation Team (JIT), which was an operation to surveillance, investigation, real-time situation and reported to PEOC and PCDC as the issues of measures decision. Thailand’s identity of the PHER model was the village and sub-district on behalf of the Communicable Disease Control Unit (CDCU) and Community COVID-19 Respond Teams (CCRTs) in which members were Health Volunteer (HV), Village’s leader, and Local organization. Core activities were screening the risky group and surveillance: Home or Local quarantine and Home isolation (HI) or community isolation (CI) of rehabilitation from Covid-19 post treatment.

Conclusion:

The strengthening of PHER depended on the CCRTs and CDCU which supported the PEOC and PCDC to prevent and control Covid-19.