Bobby Kalotee (Kumar) arranged covid vaccinations in Hicksville

 Waiting for shots at Hicksville Center: from Bobby K.Kalotee Facebook page

Message from Bobby Kalotee on his facebook page

 

 

 

 

Nassau University Medical Center Board member and former chairman Bobby Kalotee, known for many years a Bobby Kumar,  posted photos on his Facebook page yesterday of vaccines being administered at his Hicksville community center, which had served years ago as party headquarters when he was chairman of the Nassau Independence party. 

The photos immediately raised questions by many seeking -- but so far unable -- to get vaccinations against the Covid 19 virus.

How did Kalotee arrange this? Where did the vaccine come from? How did people get selected for the elusive shots?

Because Kalotee is also chairman of the Nassau Human Rights Commission and has been active in local, state and national politics for years, one of the main questions was:

Did he have some special "in" with the medical center or the county?

Kalotee denies any special connections and instead said he worked hard through his Friends for Good Health charitable organizaton to bring vaccinations to poor and left-behind communities, including parts of Hicksville.

Notice, he points out, that his Facebook page message says "There was no help from NUMC or the Nassau County."

"I always fight for the people, Kalotee said. "Around three or four weeks ago, I start asking at our hospital, NUMC " about how it planned to bring the vaccines to oppressed and minority communities. "I think we have a responsibility as a system to try to reach out to the community and try to make it easier for the community."

But he said, "Nobody seemed to be listening to me."

He said he had been working 14 hours a day trying to help the community and the hospital, distributing masks, gloves and food.

He said he approached different urgent care groups and Statcare agreed to bring the vaccine to Hicksville for a day.

 

"Only people who had registered with the state and qualified as eligible were on the list," Kalotee said. "And only if they had signed up for an appointment in Hicksville."

"Nobody else was qualified," he said.

When it was pointed out that former NUMC board member Chuck Kilbride, who runs the annual toys for tots program in Nassau, was photographed getting a shot, Kalotee said Kilbride and his wife had registered with the state, were found eligible because of their age, and signed up for an appointment. He said they had to fill out 14 pages with Statcare to be included on the list.

"It doesn't matter if he's my friend or not," Kalotee said. "If you don't qualify, you don't get it."

"The sad part is people don't even know how to register. We have a responsibility to educate our community. It doesn't matter if you know someone or don't know someone, you still have to register with the state. When they tell you you are qualified, then you have to go onto a site where you can get appointments."

He said it is a very difficult process for people who don't have computer literacy, don't have an insurance card and don't have a driver's license.

Kalotee said neither he nor his wife have been able to get vaccinated despite health problems.

 He said "around 58 or 60" people were vaccinated last week at his community center. 

Vaccine administered

His facebook page was tagged by some notable Nassau people, including NUMC general counsel Meg Ryan, NUMC board member Eva Pearson, Oyster Bay town board member Vicki Walsh, Hempstead Assemb. Taylor Darling, 

Kalotee said, "I don’t need to put it on Facebook. I do it to encourage somebody else to do the same good deed."

"Help me to help people."

                                                                         

                                                                            

Doctors prepare vaccine shots