Walter Hall Park, in League City, has become one of those places in Galveston County.
On Friday, 3,000 people were scheduled to be vaccinated. It is part of a major effort by Galveston County, the county health district and the medical branch of the University of Texas.
One of the doctors at the UTMB, Dr. Janak Patel, has been part of the realization of all this.
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“It’s a drive-thru program, and we’ve had it for almost two months,” Patel said.
However, for Dr. Patel, the vaccine has become personal.
“I have a passion around this vaccination program,” Patel said. “I know it saves lives.”
From the beginning of COVID-19, his wife, Nisha, returned to the front lines.
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“During the initial stage of the COVID-19 crisis, as many health workers worked 24 hours a day,” he said. “He cooked food and distributed it well in hospitals.”
Then his 38-year-old wife got COVID-19 and unfortunately didn’t get it.
“I saw everyone struggling to give him the best care possible and, like many others, he succumbed to it,” Patel said. “It gave me additional meaning in terms of my work in the fight against COVID-19.”
That’s why Patel is motivated to continue doing what he does today.
He is determined to help other people fight this virus that he says has taken so many.
“His life has given me extra meaning,” Patel said.
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