Volunteers on the frontline

Volunteers on the frontline

Village health workers go house to house testing locals, often with little protection

Village health volunteers conduct door-to-door visits in Prachuap Khiri Khan. (Photo by Nopphanat Subhakul)
Village health volunteers conduct door-to-door visits in Prachuap Khiri Khan. (Photo by Nopphanat Subhakul)

Knocking on the door is a life-and-death mission for now. While medical staff are combating the coronavirus outbreak on the frontline, under-resourced village health volunteers are conducting house-to-house visits to monitor the health of community residents at their own risk.

The Department of Health Service Support oversees 1,040,000 village health volunteers nationwide and an additional 15,000 public health volunteers in Bangkok. Known as "the warriors in grey shirts", this group of voluntary workers has spread out across the country to promote public health. After receiving training, each volunteer looks after 10-15 households, often home to the bedridden, the disabled, and the elderly.

Nopphanat Subhakul, a village health volunteer in Sam Roi Yot of Prachuap Khiri Khan, said her team hit the ground running when the government last month instructed community health workers to collect data on the high-risk group.

"We conduct home visits and can't miss a single one, or it could spread the contagion all over the village. However, asking every household for cooperation is not easy because it takes time to raise awareness and build trust," she told the Bangkok Post.

Some of the nine villages in the subdistrict have no access to the Internet. Ms Nopphanat said her team is educating the community of 115 households about the pandemic and monitoring those who undergo mandatory 14-day isolation.

"Once they complete the self-quarantine period, we will issue permits and follow up for another week. We ask residents over the local radio to let us know if they see anybody breaking the rules," she said.

Ms Nopphanat said local health staff are joining hands with other agencies to curb the spread of the contagion.

"We are on duty at a checkpoint until curfew every day and launch campaigns for restaurants, especially those along the beach, to provide takeaways only. Anybody who doesn't wear face masks or sells goods to lawbreakers will be arrested. We also disinfect temples, flea markets and government offices," she said.

Ms Nopphanut admitted she was scared of the coronavirus, but she refuses to give up her mission.

"What would happen if doctors and nurses felt scared? We must come to terms with it to ensure the safety of Thais. Do you know that even elderly health workers are making cloth face masks from home? If every subdistrict can join in the effort, we will pass through the crisis together," she said.

Using tricks of the trade

Meanwhile, Nurinee Sattayakul, a village health volunteer in Pasemat sub-district of Narathiwat, said her team has conducted home visits since February because the district of Sungai Kolok is close to the border between Thailand and Malaysia.

"Each of us is working a three-day shift to ensure those entering and leaving the village wear face masks and have normal body temperature. In addition, we are monitoring Thais returning from the Dawah pilgrimage in Malaysia to ensure their self-isolation," she said.

Ms Nurinee said she initially struggled to convince those who had yet to show symptoms. However, she won them over by gentle persuasion.

"Muslims believe that life and death are dictated by God. However, they took my advice after I told them their bodies are given by God and should be cherished as much as they can. If they remain stubborn and end up being infected, I warned that medical staff will not treat patients who refuse to cooperate," she said.

After starting to place their trust in community health workers, Ms Nurinee said they now look forward to having their body temperature taken every day to relieve their anxiety.

"But we are very strict. For example, those who ride motorbikes in the heat of summer tend to have higher body temperature. I told them to wear caps or they will have to wait for 15 minutes and let us retake their temperature."

Fulfilling childhood dreams

For some community residents, volunteer work is a lifelong passion. Jittra Minton, a village health volunteer in the subdistrict of Kut Nok Plao in Saraburi, said she has been doing the job for 15 years following in her grandmother's footsteps.

"When I was young, I remember accompanying her to workshops on health education and wish to pass on her knowledge. However, it is not an easy job. The coronavirus outbreak is the most critical situation I have experienced," she said.

When Covid-19 hit her province, she decided to close her noodle shop to diners though she continues to provide takeaway.

"The volunteer work requires time and effort. As local health workers, we earn 1,000 baht per month for our services. To be honest, it is not enough even to pay for fuel or help the disadvantaged. However, I think I can bite the bullet for now," she said.

Like her husband, her application for a 5000-baht cash handout was rejected. Ms Jittra said she plans to spend her meagre wage making face shields and providing hand sanitiser to volunteers.

"Nowadays, I spend my 1,000-baht compensation on these supplies. If I got the cash handout, it would be better for others. A subdistrict health promotion hospital is still waiting for the subsidy. Do you know that it has received a temperature scanner from a temple?" she said.

Jamrus Khamrod, president of Village Health Volunteer Foundation, said the Department of Health Service Support is collecting medical supplies and will distribute them to more than one million village health volunteers nationwide.

"With the shortage of protective gear, we are now spending our own money making face masks. It is a risky job because we don't know whether any community residents are infected with coronavirus. When we make home visits, some of them, especially those returning from outside, refuse to cooperate and make threats," he said.

However, Mr Jamrus said the volunteer work ethic runs in their blood. "The government is struggling to survive. How can we ask our elders for more support while they are facing so many problems? I hope they will get better and perhaps look after us later," he said.

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