Phon Phai: Supporting village and migrant health volunteers in the fight against COVID-19
The rapid worldwide spread of COVID-19 led countries to strengthen their preventive measures. China, for example, canceled international flights and imposed strict quarantine, using a “Health QR Code” to track how many days a person had been in quarantine. Singapore established a central communications service to give the public daily updates on infections, high-risk areas and work-from-home measures. In Korea, testing equipment was developed that could test more than ten thousand people a day.
Thailand faced a situation similar to that of other countries, with new infections increasing daily. Close contacts of patients and people under observation after traveling from areas classified as high risk by the Ministry of Public Health were required to self-quarantine for 14 days under ministry measures. This was intended to monitor and prevent transmission that could worsen the outbreak in Thailand.
An important measure for extending prevention throughout communities was Thailand’s network of more than 1,040,000 village health volunteers and more than 4,000 migrant health volunteers. These trained volunteers monitored and cared for communities, going door to door to identify and screen people at risk. The World Health Organization (WHO) praised their dedication and major contribution, which helped the number of new cases in the provinces decline steadily.
The information collected was sent to the Thai Red Cross Society to monitor and prevent transmission. The society also supported poor and vulnerable people in quarantine who lacked essential supplies through its COVID-19 relief kits. To receive up-to-date information and reach people in need comprehensively and promptly, the Thai Red Cross introduced a “secret weapon”: the Phon Phai application. Developed by the Thai Red Cross Society with support from USAID/OFDA and IFRC, the project involved Infra Plus Co., Ltd., which specializes in infrastructure management and the application of geographic information systems (GIS) to disaster management in Thailand, and Metamedia Technology Co., Ltd., which developed the database system and application. The Center of Excellence in Infrastructure Management, Chulalongkorn University, provided academic collaboration and disaster management advice, alongside data integration with many partner organizations.
Associate Professor Phisan Santitamnont of the Department of Survey Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University, serving as manager and advisor to the Phon Phai development project, described the application as an innovative communication tool for public agencies involved in relief and disaster response. It connects agencies across administrative lines, from the central Thai Red Cross and the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation to local authorities led by provincial governors. Coordination extends through provincial Red Cross chapters, district chiefs and subdistrict headmen to affected villages and subdistrict administrative organizations.
On 3 April 2020, the Department of Health Service Support, Ministry of Public Health, issued a letter to more than 80,000 village health volunteer leaders asking them to use Phon Phai to request COVID-19 relief kits for poor and vulnerable people in self-quarantine who lacked essential supplies. In coordination with provincial Red Cross chapters and relevant agencies, assistance was to arrive within 24 hours, or within 48 hours in the three southern border provinces. The aim was to ensure that everyone experiencing hardship and shortages while quarantining at home had food during quarantine.
Village health volunteers and provincial Red Cross chapters surveyed and screened people in need during self-quarantine, then notified the Thai Red Cross through Phon Phai. The assistance benefited people in self-quarantine who lacked food and had not yet received support from other agencies. As of 27 April 2020, operations had reached 56 provinces, distributing 81,712 relief kits valued at more than THB 53,929,920.
