Tower Hamlets pharmacist running to raise money for the NHS

Mayur Parekh from Medicem Pharmacy in Stepney Green, PIC: Minara Khanom

A Tower Hamlets pharmacist is to carry out a sponsored run to raise money for the NHS in return for its work during the pandemic. 

Mayur Parekh from Medicem Pharmacy in Stepney Green has set himself the objective to run through Tower Hamlets from Aldgate on the edge of the City to Millwall in the Isle of Dogs, as soon as lockdown restrictions are lifted in June.

Customers and patients who visit his pharmacy regularly have already started donating to support the run.

Parekh, 45, a pharmacist for over 20 years, said how much of a strain the pandemic has personally taken on him and his family. 

Parekh told East-London-Lines: “I come from a family of doctors. My sister and brother are both doctors, I was the odd one out being a pharmacist.

“For this reason, I have seen first hand just how difficult it has been for doctors and nurses on the frontline. My brother was actually really scared of bringing the virus home with him last year so he rented a place for himself at the beginning of the pandemic in order to lower his interaction with his wife and children.”

“I thought running on the 21stof June would give me some adequate time to prepare my body for the distance I want to cover,” he said, adding: “if all goes to plan, the 21stof June will almost be like a national holiday for most people in the country. 

England are playing [the Czech Republic] in the Euros at Wembley the next day, people being able to meet all their friends, go out to eat and mix freely with everyone, so I planned for that day to be the day I exhaust all my energy on behalf of the NHS.”

Parekh acknowledged that he is far from fit enough to last the length of the Tower Hamlets borough, so he has bought a treadmill to use at home to help him prepare for the run.

“To be perfectly honest with you, my wife kind of pressured me into doing this (buying a treadmill) just as I subtly suggested the idea of it.”

“With gyms being closed at the moment, I bought a treadmill to help me prepare for the run from the comfort of my own home, because I know I would make excuses to not go outside running after work if the weather is too cold or if it rains!”

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