A woman is in police custody after two Sydney hospitals were allegedly sabotaged on Tuesday morning, affecting their medical gas and water mains.
Officers were told a 42-year-old woman had allegedly cut both water and gas mains and activated fire hoses at Kareena Private Hospital, Caringbah, in south-east Sydney about 12.20am on Tuesday.
Health Minister Ryan Park has spoken about the alleged vandalism at Sutherland Hospital on Tuesday morning.Credit: Sitthixay Ditthavong
Just over an hour later, the woman allegedly scaled a wall at Sutherland Hospital and switched off the hospital’s gas main, Health Minister Ryan Park said.
“The cause of the loss of gases is alleged to be deliberate sabotage,” Park said.
The hospital had to switch to portable oxygen and air as part of its contingency plans, and had restored the gas systems about two hours after the alleged vandalism.
“It could have been catastrophic,” Park said.
“You have people on medical gases who are receiving treatment who are very, very unwell,” he said. “If someone is going to tamper with that, then the outcome could have been very, very serious.”
Police arrested the woman just before 4am on Parkside Avenue, Miranda, for breach of bail and took her to Sutherland Police Station, where inquiries are ongoing, NSW Police said.