Doctor Under Investigation for Operating on Injured Cat in His Hospital (2 photos)

An Italian doctor is under investigation for using hospital equipment to diagnose his injured pet cat, then operating to save its life.





Gianluca Fanelli, head of interventional radiology and neuroradiology at Parini Hospital in Aosti, Italy, recently divided people into two camps – one considers him a hero who values ​​life over rules and regulations, while the other believes he should be held accountable for knowingly breaking the rules in his workplace.

On the evening of January 27, after taking the injured cat to the vet and receiving the terrible diagnosis, the radiologist took Athena to the Parini hospital and placed her on a CT scanner to get an idea of ​​the damage to her internal organs. He then performed a pneumothoracic operation in the angiography room to save her life.

"I did my duty. Without me, my Athena would have died," explained Dr. Fanelli. "I knew that I could only save her by intervening in a timely manner. At a time when three CT scanners were not working, after 8 p.m. on Monday, January 27, when all the examinations scheduled for the day were finished and no urgent examinations were scheduled on any of the diagnostic machines, having made sure that there were no patients and obviously not having started my shift, I decided to check her condition."



Athena has always been an adventurous cat. That day, as always, she climbed onto the roof of a six-story building, but this time for some reason she lost her balance and fell to the ground. The radiologist took her to the veterinary clinic, where the staff found fractures, a torn lung, at least one of her two lungs with a suspected pneumothorax, and possible internal injuries. After confirming internal injuries with a CT scan, Fanelli was able to drain the lung cavity, which finally allowed Athena to breathe again.

"Being a doctor means fulfilling a mission. The driving force is life itself, which flows in the eyes of those who entrust themselves to your care, and this life flows in every living being," said the Italian doctor. "If my cat died, I would never be able to forgive myself, especially since my children adore her."

The news of Gianluca Fanelli's actions spread around the hospital and when the news reached the management, an internal investigation was ordered. Depending on its results, Fanelli could be charged with embezzlement of public funds and deprivation of necessary services for patients. His case is being handled by the Aosta prosecutor's office. One of the main questions is why the radiologist took the cat to the Parini hospital after receiving the verdict from the veterinary clinic, to which he replies "the emotionality of the moment" and "the need to intervene, since it was a life and death situation."

"My husband saved a life, period!" - Gianluca's wife, local politician Nicoletta Spelgatti, told reporters. "In life, do good and never worry about the consequences. The laws of men and the laws of the universe do not always coincide."