Evaluating the Competency of the Public Health Emergency Operations Center Roi Et Provincial Public Health Office, fiscal year 2024

Abstract

Purposes : To evaluate the performance of the Public Health Emergency Operations Center (PHEOC) at the Roi Et Provincial Public Health Office.

Research design: This study employed a descriptive research design.

Materials and Methods: The study sample comprised 30 representatives from all task groups of the incident command system under the Roi Et Provincial PHEOC for the year 2024. Data collection involved interviews and focus group discussions. Collect data using the EOC assessment framework developed by the Department of Disease Control. This framework includes 10 categories and 74 performance indicators. Data were collected using a basic information collection tool aimed at planning the development of provincial PHEOC and were analyzed using content analysis and descriptive statistics.

Main finding : The performance of the PHEOC was aligned with its designated structure and operational roles under incident command. The PHEOC had implemented an effective emergency management system capable of responding to public health emergencies at the provincial level. Out of 74 indicators, 50 (67.57%) were met effectively, demonstrating compliance with the standards set by the Department of Disease Control. Among the categories, the highest performance was observed in Category 1: Context, Category 5: Critical Information, and Category 9: Coordination and logistical support of field operations, each achieving (100%). This was followed by Category 10: Training, Exercise, and Evaluation (75.0%), Category 2: Emergency Operations Center (73.07%), and Category 3: Organizational Framework (66.67%) Category 8: Internal Communication within the Incident Command System (50.00%), and Category 6: Incident Management and Response (33.33%) respectively. The lowest-performing categories were Category 4: Information Systems and Category 7: Risk Communication and Early Warning, both achieving 20.00%.

Conclusion and Recommendations : It is recommended to prioritize the development of information systems, risk communication, and early warning mechanisms, as well as improvements in incident management and response systems. These efforts are essential to enhance the performance and efficiency of the Roi Et Provincial PHEOC.