Cyberattack forces Belgian hospital to transfer critical care patients

A reported ransomware attack on AZ Monica hospital in Belgium has led to operations being canceled and forced the Red Cross to transfer seven patients requiring critical care to other hospitals.

In a statement on Tuesday, AZ Monica confirmed experiencing “a serious disruption” to its IT systems. To halt the attack, it said it proactively shut down all servers for its campuses in Deurne and Antwerp, causing massive disruption to care.

The hospital credited the Red Cross with assisting the transfer of critical patients to other hospitals, as their status was unstable and their safety could not be guaranteed. Other patients “remain safely in the hospital and are receiving the necessary care.”

“Due to this situation, no scheduled surgeries are possible today. We have informed all patients. The Emergency Department is operating at reduced capacity,” the hospital warned.

Ambulances in the Belgian port city of Antwerp are not currently transporting patients to AZ Monica, which has two campuses in the city, likely increasing the strain on nearby emergency departments.

Patients who require urgent care have been encouraged to contact their “GP, a GP out-of-hours clinic, or another emergency service whenever possible.”

Chief executive Geert Smits told journalists that the public prosecutor’s office confirmed the hospital was facing a cyberattack. The newspaper GVA reported the health institution’s network had been infected with ransomware.

The hospital’s chief physician, Jeal-Paul Sion, said a wide range of examinations and treatments had been postponed due to the incident, including radiological exams, medical imaging and chemotherapy treatments.

“Patients who were scheduled for urgent chemotherapy today are being cared for by the University Hospital of Amsterdam. The cooperation and support we are receiving from the nearby hospitals is heartwarming,” said Sion.

Mobile emergency services and the paramedical intervention team are not operational. Although consultations are continuing, these are disrupted as doctors cannot access electronic patient records.

Smits told GVA that the hospital “proactively shut down our servers precisely to avoid [patient data being compromised.”