Vaccine distribution lawsuit

2,355 Views | 10 Replies | Last: 2 yr ago by DustysLineup
rononeill
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https://www.dallasnews.com/news/crime/2021/01/22/texas-doctor-stole-coronavirus-vaccine-gave-it-to-his-family-and-friends-authorities-say/

This is gonna be interesting. I get the "rules" but the doctors practical execution "for the greater good" seems pretty logical. That they can't identify this as a gap in the distribution program that needs a practical solution versus a chargeable crime supports the argument that this is a power grab.
Aries
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As someone who knows on the backside how things are in reality....if it was going to be tossed out, I don't blame him for doing what he did.
buffalo chip
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S
The Harris County prosecutor (Ogg) is a strange one. I expect this case to disappear...
Not a Bot
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AG
Article is behind a paywall.

Any details of what they are accusing him of? If he flat out stole the vaccine in an effort to get his friends and family vaccinated at the expense of others, that's one thing. If they were literally about to throw a vial away because there was no one to give the vaccine to, then to me there's nothing wrong with it.
DadHammer
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AG
cc_ag92
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AG
He was working at a county vaccination site. As the day was ending, they had to open a vial for one patient, so there were nine doses left that would expire in a few hours. "Before the vaccination clinic, Harris County public health officials were instructed by the state health department to do everything possible not to waste doses of the vaccine."

None of the people onsite needed it because they had already received it. He then began texting friends to find out who might be eligible and interested.

From the texts, he vaccinated friends of friends, including "a 93-year-old woman who is bed bound, an 86-year-old woman with dementia, a 40-year-old woman who had multiple underlying health conditions and is the mother of a child who is intubated, and a 22-year-old woman who had multiple underlying health conditions."

Fifteen - thirty minutes before the doses were set to expire, he vaccinated his wife, who also has underlying health conditions.

He has no disciplinary history with the state medical board.
CDub06
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AG
Based on what cc posted, I've got to say this is so stupid. I saw this in New York and never expected Texas to show such lack of common sense. You've GOT to use those doses.

This is happening and should be. You open the vial and you're on the clock to stick 10 people. If someone no shows, using that dose is WAY more important than adhering to the makeshift prioritized list. Stick the delivery driver or anyone that can get there within 15 minutes.

EDIT: found one not behind a paywall: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/texas-doctor-hasan-gokal-accused-stealing-covid-doses/

Seems like there might be more to this. Taking it offsite is a bad look.
cc_ag92
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AG
Interesting article....

I paraphrased and quoted from the DMN article linked above and hadn't read or heard anything else about the situation.

One thing that I left out from the DMN article that isn't mentioned here is that the Health Department didn't speak to Gokal about what happened. That's according to Gokal and his attorney, of course.
Ag83
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AG
CDub06
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AG
Quote:

Doyle said Gokal is preparing to sue Harris County for wrongful termination.

"An apology by Harris County Public Health and the Harris County District Attorney's Office toward Dr. Gokal and his family will not be enough," Doyle said. "The agency disparaged this good public servant's name and took away his employment without cause."
lazuras_dc
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AG
So dumb
DustysLineup
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AG
He's now suing Harris County for ONE MEELION dollars.

https://www.houstonpress.com/news/doctor-accused-of-vaccine-theft-sues-harris-county-for-over-1-million-11967767


Quote:

In a lawsuit filed Tuesday seeking more than $1 million in damages, Gokal and his attorney Joe Ahmad argue that Gokal acted within his duty as physician and per the recommendations of the state health department in making sure extra, opened doses of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine wouldn't go to waste one night in late December 2020. According to Gokal's legal team, county public health officials wrongfully fired him for not "equitably" distributing those vaccine doses which they claimed he'd stolen.
*Sorry, meant to bump a thread on the Houston board; most of yall probably don't care about a Harris County lawsuit. My bad.
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