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According to a press release issued Thursday afternoon, Dr Hasan Gokal is accused of stealing the vial containing nine doses while working at the Lyndsay Lyons Park County vaccination site in Humble on December 29.
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A week later, Gokal told a fellow Harris County public health worker, who then reported him to supervisors. Mismanagement of a vaccine can result in a loss of government funding for the county, according to Harris County public health officials, who first investigated the case, which resulted in Gokal’s dismissal.
“He abused his position to put his friends and family online in front of people who had gone through the legal process to be there,” Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said. “What he did was illegal and he will be held accountable under the law.”
Gokal is being sued by the Public Corruption Division of the Harris County District Attorney’s Office. He is accused of theft by an official. The Category A misdemeanor carries a penalty of up to one year in prison and a fine of $ 4,000.
ABC7’s sister station, KTRK, has contacted Harris County Public Health for comment. A spokesperson made the following statement:
“I can confirm that all of the details in the press release sent by the prosecutor’s office are correct. Harris County Public Health took immediate action after learning of vaccine mishandling, to include authorities in alert. However, since this is an ongoing investigation, we must refer you to the DA’s office for any comments or interviews. “
Meanwhile, Gokal’s attorney Paul Doyle sent the following statement:
“Dr Gokal is a dedicated public servant who ensured that doses of the COVID-19 vaccine that would otherwise have expired were in the arms of people who qualified to receive it. Harris County would have preferred Dr Gokal to let the vaccines go to waste. and attempt to denigrate the reputation of this man in the process of supporting this policy. We look forward to our day in court to rectify this issue. “
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Gokal had been one of the faces of Harris County public health during the pandemic, featured in videos and on town hall signs.
According to online records, he is in good standing with the Texas Medical Board and practiced medicine for 21 years, including nine years in Texas.
“If the accusation against Dr. Gokal is true, he has committed a significant violation of public confidence in the medical profession,” said Woods Nash, assistant professor of bioethics and humanities at the University of Houston College of Medicine. “We trust physicians and other healthcare professionals to put the best interests of their patients and the public ahead of their own goals and desires. This expectation of altruism is not altered by the pandemic. In fact, the pandemic only increases the urgency to put aside personal interests that conflict with the public good. “
Gokal has not been arrested and no hearing has been scheduled.
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