[paradaux]

The health minister at the time explicitly stated that they did not pay the random, directly or indirectly (e.g. via a third party) although realistically not easily verifiable.

The discussion at the time was the perpetrators didn't expect to have the effect they did, effectively halting the entire health service for several weeks to months. I think the ethics element as the other commenter stated is a valid one, as one is playing with another's life when you interfere with medical operations, routine or otherwise

[donalhunt]

Another theory floating around was that the publicity was good PR for the attackers.