Radiologist under investigation for sneaking cat in for CT scan

A doctor in Italy is under investigation after he used hospital resources to render medical aid on his injured cat. 

Gianluca Fanelli, MD, is the managing director of radiology at Umberto Parini hospital in the northern Italian region. Fanelli, who is a radiologist, brought his cat, Athena, in for a CT scan after she fell off a roof several stories high, leaving her near death, according to the doctor. 

After reviewing Athena’s CT scan, Fanelli then conducted an emergency pneumothoracic procedure to drain fluid from her lungs in the facility’s angiography suite. The doctor saved his cat’s life, but now he is being investigated for misusing hospital resources, according to numerous reports. 

"The story is so incredible, I thought it was a joke initially," the hospital’s director Massimo Uberti said in comments reported by the Italian news agency ANSA. "Unfortunately, it wasn't, and now we are investigating all possible violations." 

Fanelli defended his actions in a letter to the hospital, stating the cat was “between life and death” and that he knew only “timely intervention could save her.” 

“Being a doctor means carrying out a mission. The driving force is precisely the life that flows in the eyes of those who entrust themselves to your care. And this life flows in every living being. If I hadn't done everything I could ... and my cat had died, I would never have been able to forgive myself, particularly as my children adore her," Fanelli said. 

According to the radiologist, he did not use the equipment during routine working hours, but in the evening when there were no patients scheduled to be seen. He has since apologized for any violations he may have committed and has offered to reimburse the hospital for his use of resources.