The impact of the ransomware attack that hit Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children may last for weeks.
In an online statement today the hospital said it anticipates that it will be a matter of weeks before all systems are functioning as normal. There is no evidence to date that personal information or personal health information has been impacted.
Clinical and operational teams are implementing backup procedures for systems that are not yet accessible, the statement says. “This is a fluid and evolving situation that is still under investigation,” it adds.
“While we can confirm this is a ransomware attack, SickKids has been preparing for attacks of this nature, and mobilized quickly to mitigate potential impacts to the continuity of care. We have rapidly engaged with third-party expert organizations and law enforcement to bring a resolution to the situation as quickly as possible.”
Urgent and emergent care as well as scheduled appointments and procedures are continuing, even as impacted systems are being brought back online. However, clinical teams are currently experiencing delays with retrieving lab and imaging results, which the hospital says may cause longer wait times for patients and families.
Patients and families can continue to communicate with their care teams as they normally would, the hospital says. There is no evidence to date that personal information or personal health information has been impacted.
SickKids, which dates back to 1875, is Canada’s largest hospital for treating children. It operates with a $1.21 billion annual budget, 62 per cent of which comes from the province of Ontario.
Ransomware attacks on hospitals are continuing at much the same rate as ever, noted Brett Callow, a Br ..
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