Spinal injury patient recalls horror of being allegedly doused in petrol and set on fire at Sydney’s Prince of Wales Hospital
A 48-year-old patient has been charged after allegedly dousing three other patients with petrol in a spinal injury ward at Sydney’s Prince of Wales Hospital and setting one man alight. The injured man, 54-year-old Randovan Banic, is in intensive care with serious burns; the incident has prompted calls for stronger safety in public hospitals and a health department review.
Police were called to the Randwick hospital at about 10.45pm on Tuesday. The other patients, a 54-year-old man and a 64-year-old woman, were treated for minor injuries and are stable. The accused faces two counts of attempted murder, common assault and two counts of attempted grievous bodily harm with intent, and is due to appear in court by video link on Thursday.
- A patient allegedly set a fellow patient alight in a Sydney hospital ward.
- Three people were reportedly doused with petrol.
- The injured man remains in intensive care with serious burns.
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Prince of Wales Hospital is a public hospital in Randwick, Sydney, with a ward for people recovering from spinal injuries. Patients in such wards may need help with movement and daily care, and some may be especially vulnerable because of their injuries.
Police say a 48-year-old patient allegedly attacked three other patients in the ward. Randovan Banic, 54, suffered serious burns and is in intensive care; the other two patients were treated for minor injuries and are stable. The accused has been charged, and the case is before the courts.
The incident has raised questions about how hospitals protect patients and manage safety on wards. The health department is reviewing what happened, while calls have been made for stronger safety measures in public hospitals.