According to a press release released on Thursday afternoon, Dr. Hasan Gokal is accused of stealing the bottle containing nine doses while working at the county vaccination site in Lyndsay Lyons Park in Humble on December 29.
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A week later, Gokal told a fellow Harris County Public Health official, who then reported him to supervisors. Mishandling a vaccine could result in the loss of government funds for the county, according to Harris County Public Health officials, who investigated the matter, resulting in Gokal’s dismissal.
“He abused his position to put his friends and family in front of people who had gone through the legal process to be there,” said Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg. “What he did was illegal and he will be held responsible. By the law.”
Gokal is being sued by the Harris County Public Corruption Division. He is being accused of theft by a public official. Class A misdemeanor carries a sentence of up to one year in prison and a $ 4,000 fine.
ABC7’s sister station, KTRK, contacted Harris County Public Health for comment. A spokesman issued the following statement:
“I can confirm that all the details of the press release sent by the prosecutor’s office are accurate. Harris County Public Health took immediate steps to learn of the improper handling of vaccines, to include the alert from the authorities. return to the DA’s office for any comment or interview. “
Meanwhile, Gokal’s lawyer, 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 expire would go into the arms of people who met the criteria to receive it. And we are trying to undermine this man’s reputation in the process of supporting this policy. We look forward to our day in court to fix this mistake. “
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Gokal was one of the faces of Harris County Public Health during the pandemic, featured in city hall videos and panels.
According to online records, he is up to date with the Texas Medical Council and has been practicing medicine for 21 years, including nine years in Texas.
“If the charge against Dr. Gokal is true, he has committed a significant breach of public confidence in the medical profession,” said Woods Nash, assistant professor of bioethics and medical humanities at the University of Houston College of Medicine. “We trust doctors and other health professionals to put the interests of their patients and the public above their own goals and desires. This expectation of altruism is not altered by the pandemic. At the very least, the pandemic only increases the urgency of letting go. the self-interests that conflict with the public good. “
Gokal was not arrested and a hearing was not scheduled.
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