The province’s health care IT system has been seriously impacted by a cyber attack that has affected a wide range of internet services within each of the regional health authorities.
Health Minister John Haggie and Eastern Health CEO David Diamond addressed reporters this morning with an update on the situation.
He says they became aware of the problem within the health care IT systems on Saturday morning. The progressive problems are affecting what Haggie calls the “brain of the data centre.”
Minister Haggie would not confirm whether it is a ransomware attack, but says the most severely affected is Eastern Health, which has been forced to move to back to a paper-based system of operation.
Haggie says all health authorities are affected, but Eastern Health hit hardest. Western and Labrador-Grenfell health near normal, central health somewhere in the middle @VOCMNEWS
— Richard Duggan (@RDugganVOCM) November 1, 2021
Eastern Health CEO says the problem is affecting a variety of systems including registration, email, patient information, and they are unable to access diagnostic imaging or lab results digitally.
Only emergency procedures are going ahead today within Eastern Health. Anyone who had a procedure scheduled for today, that isn’t considered to be an emergency, will be rescheduled. Anyone who has not been contacted to tell them their procedure is going ahead, is being rescheduled.
Eastern Health CEO david Diamond says "thousands" of appointments cancelled @VOCMNEWS
— Richard Duggan (@RDugganVOCM) November 1, 2021
Haggie says they are unable to say whether patient privacy has been affected, but the Office of the Privacy Commissioner has been contacted.
In the meantime, officials are unable to say whether the incident is related to a ransomware attack or what it means in terms of costs.
