Crisis Mangement Lessons Learned: Case Study on Botulism Outbreak Amphoe Ban Luang, Nan Province, 2006 (บทเรียนการจัดการภาวะวิกฤติ : กรณีศึกษาการเกิดโรคโบทูลิซึม อำเภอบ้านหลวง จังหวัดน่าน พ.ศ. 2549)

Based on the principle of natural disaster management, past preparedness and prompt effective response to health crisis at or crisis management can reduce morbidity and mortality rates of victims. The qualitative research was aimed at systematically filing experiences and lessons learned how Nan public health system could manage a crisis and exploring key success factors on botulism outbreak in Ban Laung district, Nan province in 2006. The phenomenology and case study approach were employed to understand the visions of Nan public health officers and their stakeholders both at national and local level, who experienced that crisis in 2006. In all, 45 participants were included in in-depth interviews and focus group discussions during April 2007 - October 2008 while the data analysis utilized content analysis and thematic analysis. The research results indicate that the networking and experiences on botulism outbreak management in Tha Wang Pha district, Nan province in 1998 were the key success factor of botulism crisis management in Ban Laung district without any single fatal case out of 305 infected patients, even aggravated by respiratory failure. The crisis management was successfully contributed by the co-ordination and managed through network systems in case of national and international level of medical and health professional networks, social civil networks in botulism outbreak area for patients and social care. Whereas other supplemental network such as mass communications and other networks of community radio stations adhering to self sufficiency were also critical factors for successful resource management in botulism outbreak as well. Key words: botulism, crisis management, case study