A man is claiming he suffered “physical, psychological and financial” damage when the state-run health system failed to adequately treat his condition - that resulted in pimples spreading and becoming open wounds during a painful saga that lasted eight years.

The wounds had to be surgically removed and a skin grafting carried out. After this ordeal, a private doctor prescribed oral medication that dried up the remaining wounds without the need for further surgery.

The 68-year-old man, and his wife, filed a judicial protest against Mater Dei Hospital CEO, the permanent secretary within the Health Ministry and the Chief Medical Officer holding them liable in damages he suffered over these years.

In the protest, he explained that in 2015 he was referred to Sir Paul Boffa Hospital’s dermatology department after he noticed spots on his head and arms. He was prescribed treatment via dry ice and cream.

But the spots spread as the cream was not effective. Over the years different creams were prescribed which he bought and applied as instructed. This dragged on till 2021.

Meanwhile the spots, that spread fast, became open wounds as they grew above skin level and started oozing pus and blood.

This was excruciatingly painful and he had to be careful not to hit them. He could no longer sleep in the same room as his wife. He was on pain killers. Apart from this he, and his family, had to endure the stench emitted by the sores. He was never told what was causing them.

On February 27, 2023, he went for another appointment and was given another appointment that was four months away. He got angry and started shouting as he could not take it anymore. Doctors in the area approached him

One doctor, a consultant surgeon, examined him. He told him that the wounds on his head and arms had to be removed as well as the surface growths which he suspected could be caused by a tumour.

The intervention was done in April 2023 and it also involved skin grafting. Some time after he was told he would have to undergo another operation to remove the other wounds.

He sought a private second opinion and was prescribed oral medicine called Acitretin which resulted in the wounds drying up without the need for surgery.

In the protest the man said that the hospital authorities failed to provide him with an adequate health service that caused him to suffer unnecessarily physically, psychologically and financially. He held the authorities liable in damages and reserved the right to take further legal action.

Lawyer Michael Tanti-Doughall and legal procurator Gerald Bonello signed the protest.