The 29-year-old Mount Carmel Hospital patient who began a hunger strike after the permission he had been granted to carry out odd jobs at a home run by Franciscan friars was withdrawn has stopped taking fluids after insisting that his pleas had effectively been ignored. In a statement today, he also stated that he will be continuing with the hunger strike since no action was taken during the 48 hours he has been on hunger strike. He said that nobody approached him to discuss the issue.
He said he strongly believes in dialogue while stating that he is not on hunger strike to prove his point but to ensure that somebody takes action against the consultant - Joseph Spiteri - he claims is in the middle of all this.
Daniel Lanzon had been jailed for 10 years after admitting to the attempted murder of a 76-year-old woman – an incident which took place in Sliema in 2003. But in 2014, in proceedings relating to another criminal case, a court ordered that Mr Lanzon should be exempted from criminal responsibility and sent to Mount Carmel Hospital for treatment.
For therapeutic purposes, Mr Lanzon was authorised to carry out some works at Dar Frate Jacoba in Marsascala, a home for youngsters coming from a difficult social background in which he had himself lived. He was being assigned various tasks at the home, including maintenance work, cooking for residents and taking care of the animals.
But last Friday, he was told that his permission had been revoked by consultant psychiatrist Spiteri. After seeking an explanation, Mr Lanzon was informed the following day that the decision was made after reports were filed that he was simply driving around all day, rather than doing what he was supposed to do.
Mr Lanzon acknowledged that he did use a car – stressing that he was in possession of a driving licence, and that he had not been prohibited from driving. But he insisted that he was only using it where necessary, including to run errands for the friars.
He emphasised that the friars could confirm that he was going to the home as agreed, pointing out that he already required their signature to confirm his attendance.
He entered his hunger strike on Saturday afternoon, and is demanding that he should once more be allowed to go to Dar Frate Jacoba and that he should be assigned to a different consultant, as he insisted that Dr Spiteri would constantly threaten to revoke any privileges.
On Sunday afternoon, hospital CEO Clifton Grima informed Mr Lanzon by email that the hospital had spoken to his lawyer, so that a court application would be filed to request a change in consultant. Mr Lanzon also said that Dr Grima called him in a bid to persuade him to end his hunger strike.
Mr Lanzon was also informed that Dr Spiteri would be visiting him yesterday morning, but another doctor – who had nothing to do with his treatment – arrived instead, and he simply confirmed that permission to visit Dar Frate Jacoba had been revoked.
In light of these developments, Mr Lanzon said that he felt he had no other option but to escalate his hunger strike by refusing water, as well as food.
He insisted that it was his right as a patient to ask for his doctor to be changed, stating that it was not right for the consultant to “use his power to break me.”
Mr Lanzon was adamant that he would not have embarked on a hunger strike if he felt that he had done anything that justified the withdrawal of the permission to carry out works at the friars’ home.
“If no one speaks up for me, I will keep suffering,” he maintained.