At a time when essential health services across the world were disrupted due to the COVID-19 outbreak, health authorities of the Pakkred Hospital in the Nonthaburi Province of Thailand prioritized protecting the vulnerable population, while maintaining essential health services for patients with chronic conditions. Health authorities in the Pakkred District used technology to establish communication lines between hospitals, health centres and health workers for better coordination and to reach out to the larger community. A fast-track one-stop service was set up for vulnerable groups. This helped reduce the time spent by the patient at the hospital from 2-3 hours to under one hour. Home care visits, teleconsultations and drive-through medicine pick-ups for NCD patients are two of the new patient-centred practices adopted by the hospital. Health care workers at Pakkred Hospital say they want to continue these good practices even after the pandemic, particularly multiple channels of communications with patients.
WHO thanks all donors and partners who have contributed to fund the Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan to combat COVID-19. A special appreciation goes to Member States and other contributors who provided flexible funds, making it possible for WHO to deliver a coherent, strategic and broad response.