Cyberattack paralyzed a Belgian hospital: critically ill patients had to be transferred elsewhere
A cyberattack can have very concrete and immediate impacts – including endangering healthcare. A recent case from Belgium shows this in full force. Nemocnice AZ Monica čelila kybernetickému incidentu, který podle místních médií pravděpodobně souvisel s ransomwarem. Dopady byly natolik závažné, že bylo nutné převézt část pacientů v kritickém stavu do jiných zdravotnických zařízení.
Servery vypnuty, péče omezená
The hospital on Tuesday confirmed that it had recorded „a serious breach“ of its IT systems. To stop the attack and minimize its effects, it proactively took all servers offline at both its sites in Deurne a Antverpách. While this step helped limit further spread of the incident, it also significantly disrupted the availability of healthcare.
Přesuny kriticky nemocných pacientů
A total of seven patients had to be transferred to other hospitals with the help of the Belgian Red Cross. According to hospital management, their medical condition was unstable and in this situation it was not possible to guarantee their safety. Other patients remained in the facility and continued to receive necessary care – albeit in a limited capacity.
Zrušené operace a omezená pohotovost
The hospital was forced to cancel scheduled surgeries and emergency admissions operated only in a limited mode. Ambulances in the city of Antverpy temporarily did not transport patients to AZ Monica, which may increase the burden on nearby emergency departments. Patients were advised that, if possible, they should contact their general practitioner, an out-of-hospital emergency service, or another urgent care facility.
Odložená léčba, nedostupná dokumentace
According to hospital management, a number of examinations and treatment procedures were postponed, including radiological tests, imaging procedures, and also some chemotherapy treatments. Patients who required urgent chemotherapy were temporarily taken over by the univerzitní nemocnicí v Amsterdamu. At the same time, doctors faced the typical problem in such incidents: they did not have access to electronic health records.
Co je potvrzené
The hospital's general director Geert Smits stated that the cyberattack was also confirmed by the public prosecutor's office. While místní média hovoří o ransomwaru, the hospital officially communicated primarily the impacts of the incident and crisis measures. Smits also suggested that taking the servers offline was a preventive step, aimed at preventing possible compromise of patients' sensitive health data.