A 29-year-old patient at Mount Carmel Hospital is set to enter a hunger strike only a week after terminating another one after insisting that the agreement which was reached back then did not translate into action.

Daniel Lanzon had started his first hunger strike on Saturday, 18 April, after the consultant psychiatrist he has been assigned to, Joseph Spiteri, revoked his permission to visit Dar Frate Jacoba in Marsascala and carry out odd jobs there.

Dar Frate Jacoba, which is run by Franciscan Friars, is a home for youngsters coming from a difficult social background: Mr Lanzon had lived in the home for a period. Permission to visit the home, where he carried out various tasks including maintenance work, cooking and looking after animals, was granted for therapeutic purposes.

Mr Lanzon was told that permission was revoked after reports were made that he was simply spending the day driving around, rather than visit the home as agreed. But he strongly denied that this was the case, stating that while he did use a car, he was only using it where necessary, including to run errands for the friars. He is also in possession of a valid driver’s licence.

As he entered his hunger strike, he demanded that he should once more be allowed to go to Dar Frate Jacoba and that he should be assigned to a different consultant, accusing Dr Spiteri of constantly threatening to revoke privileges for no valid reason.

The day after he started his hunger strike, hospital CEO Clifton Grima informed Mr Lanzon that the hospital has spoken to his lawyer so that a court application would be filed to request a change in consultant.

But the hunger strike continued in the absence of any visible progress, but was ultimately ended following the intervention of Dr Grima and consultant psychiatrist Anton Grech.

However, Mr Lanzon warned that another hunger strike would follow if this agreement did not translate into action, and has announced that he should enter another hunger strike at 8am this morning.

He said that this was “because the management of Mount Carmel Hospital did not stick to its promises and fix things, and as a result, the same consultant has remained there and has continued to give orders.”

Mr Lanzon also explained that there had been no developments following the filing of his court application.