An Italian man who had completely lost his memory will soon be reunited with his family thanks to mobile phone technology and television.
Giovanni Ianelli fell in a Rome street on Thursday and was found to be unconscious. First aiders at the Termini Station helped him and he was later admitted to Rome’s Policlinico Umberto.
When Mr Ianelli regained consciousness he could not remember his name or anything about himself or his life. He told fellow patients that the only assumption he could make was that he had not been a manual worker because there were no calluses on his hands. Hospital staff noted that he had a Calabrian accent. His only belongings, found in his pocket, appeared to be 300 euros and a Florence to Rome train ticket for the same day [28th January].
Mr Ianelli asked the man in the next bed, who had been admitted at the same time, to help him. This man was discharged the next day and he quickly contacted the production staff of the Rai 3 television programme, Chi l’ha visto? [“Who has seen him?”] which tries to trace missing people, identify criminals and put a name to unidentified bodies.
The programme wanted to send a team to the Clinic to interview Mr Ianelli but the hospital’s management would not allow it because of Italy’s strict privacy laws. They would not agree to issue a photo of their mystery patient for the same reason.
However, Mr Ianelli’s bed-neighbour had taken a photo of him with his mobile phone camera and this was the image shown to Italy when this week’s programme went out last night. Mr Ianelli’s son was watching and immediately called the programme to identify his father, who he said had gone missing a week ago.
Let’s hope the two have a happy reunion.
Do you think the hospital management team were right to refuse permission for an interview and to refuse to issue a photograph?
Are privacy laws strict where you live?
