Texas Doctor Accused of Stealing COVID-19 Vaccine
Texas doctor in Harris County, Dr. Hasan Gokal, has been accused of stealing a COVID-19 vaccine to give to friends and family. The District Attorney said he is facing a Class 3 Misdemeanor if found guilty and “will be held accountable under the law.”
Here’s what you need to know.
A Colleague Reported Him to Their Supervisor
Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg told KHOU 11 that Gokal was fired and charged with “theft by a public servant” after admitting to a colleague that he took a vaccine vial.
Ogg said in a public statement that the vial contained nine doses and was taken when he was working at Lyndsay Lyons Park on December 29 in Humble, Texas, Chron.com reported. He later told a co-worker about what happened, and the colleague reported him.
The Public Corruption Division of the Harris County District Attorney’s Office is investigating the Class A Misdemeanor charge, which could bring a $4,000 fine and up to a year in jail, KHOU 11 reported.
The District Attorney Said He Gave the Doses to Friends & Family
Ogg said about the incident: “He abused his position to place his friends and family in line in front of people who had gone through the lawful process to be there. What he did was illegal, and he’ll be held accountable under the law… [He] disregarded county protocols in place to ensure vaccine is not wasted but administered to vulnerable populations and front-line workers on a waiting list.”
According to Gokal’s LinkedIn profile, he’s an emergency physician in Houston. Shortly after the public statement was made, a man by the same name and same job listing made a public post on Facebook about the vaccines, saying that Harris County’s policies went against the policies of Texas health services and were leading to doses of the vaccine being wasted.
He wrote: “Department of STATE HEALTH SERVICES of TEXAS says: “DSHS would recommend that the doses left in a punctured vial be given to people in groups 1a and 1b, if at all possible. However, there are going to be times when there is one or two doses left in the bottom of the vial and no potential recipients in those priority populations. In those cases, we recommend giving those left over doses to whoever is willing and has no contraindications. In the end, we want every dose used and none wasted.HARRIS COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH INSISTS THAT IT’S STAFF WASTE DAILY DOSES, AGAINST THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE STATE.”
Officials said that vaccine mishandling can lead to a county losing government funding, CBS DFW reported.
Houston Chronicle reported that Gokal’s medical license is active and he’s been practicing for 21 years, including nine years in the United States.
The vaccine rollout in the Houston region and other parts of Texas have been slower, KHOU 11 reported. Only 10% of Texans eligible for the first dose have received them. In the Houston region, only Galveston and Fort Bend counties vaccinated higher than that average, while Harris County was at 10%.
