A late-night alleged attack inside a Sydney hospital has left three patients injured after police accused a man of pouring accelerant over fellow patients before setting one of them alight.
Police allege a 48-year-old patient targeted two men, aged 54 and 63, and a 64-year-old woman inside Prince of Wales Hospital at Randwick about 10.45pm on Tuesday.
Investigators claim he doused the three with accelerant before allegedly setting the 54-year-old man on fire.
Hospital staff moved quickly to put out the flames, with the injured man suffering minor burns. He was treated at the hospital and remained in a stable condition on Wednesday.
The other two patients, a 63-year-old man and a 64-year-old woman, were also treated for minor injuries and were in stable conditions.
Officers were called to the hospital after reports of a concern for welfare.
The 48-year-old was arrested at the scene and later charged with two counts of attempted murder, common assault and two counts of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent.
He is due to appear before court on Thursday.
Opposition health spokeswoman Sarah Mitchell describing the incident as “beyond unacceptable”.
“I am deeply disturbed by reports of patients being doused in petrol and set alight at Prince of Wales Hospital,” Ms Mitchell said.
“Safety must be non-negotiable in our public hospitals.”