Lesson Learned from public health emergency management in dealing with COVID-19 Mukdahan province in case of sending Lao workers back home from the situation of “Bee’s Nest Breaking”

Abstract

This research was aimed to extract lesson learned of public health emergency management in coping with COVID-19 in Mukdahan province in case sending Lao workers back home from the situation of “Bee’s Nest Breaking”. The study area was Mukdahan province which was conducted between June and September 2022. The mixed method for data collecting both quantitative and qualitative method of interview from questionnaire and in-depth interview and group interviews from interview guide tools. Target group were the 21 stake holders who responsible for the operation of sending Laotian back to hometown. Quantitative data were analyzed by descriptive statistics. The qualitative data were analyzed by content analysis.

The situation of Laotian workers who travelling back to hometown from June to September 2021, were 12,116 cases, of which 739 were infected patients (6.10%), traveled the most in August of 4,211 cases, of which 631 were infected patients, representing 14.98%, with labor transfer procedures. Seven steps of Sending Laotian workers back to hometown were as followed; (1) establishing a waiting center, (2) Screening and classify Laotian worker: COVID-19 infected, non-infected, and vulnerable group, (3) providing the understanding how to conduct the practicing guideline, (4) official coordination with Savannakhet Province to accepting Lao workers, (5) document reviewed for immigration (6) Laotian workers immigrate to their hometown, and (7) cleaning checkpoint Disinfection of the waiting center and all vehicles transporting patients. Analysis and conclusion the immigration data, obstacle, and preparedness how to sending Laotian worker back to their home town for the next day. Success factors were the integration government, non-government, and trans-national networks, The network’s roles clearly, volunteer, good system of send Laotian workers back to hometown, effective disease prevention and control with no outbreak of COVID-19 and others communicable diseases in the waiting center.