Health Services Hampered, Several Emergency Rooms Shut As Cyberattack Disrupts Hospitals In US
A cyberattack across hospitals in several states in the US caused chaos disrupting basic and emergency medical facilities.
Hospital systems across several states in the US crashed, forcing the closure of many emergency rooms after a cyberattack disrupted computer systems, reported The Guardian. It said that ambulances were diverted, and many primary care services remained closed on Friday as experts tried to determine the cause and extent of the problem and resolve it. The "data security incident" began on Thursday at hospitals and other facilities operated by Prospect Medical Holdings, The Guardian mentioned
"Upon learning of this, we took our systems offline to protect them and launched an investigation with the help of third-party cybersecurity specialists," the company was quoted as saying in a statement by The Guardian.
"While our investigation continues, we are focused on addressing the pressing needs of our patients as we work diligently to return to normal operations as quickly as possible," it added.
The attack was reported at facilities in Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and California among other places.
According to The Associated Press, a National Security Council spokesperson, Adrienne Watson said that the White House has been monitoring the situation.
"The Department of Health and Human Services has been in contact with the company to offer federal assistance, and we are ready to provide support as needed to prevent any disruption to patient care as a result of this incident," Watson said in a statement, as quoted by AP.
Meanwhile, American Hospital Association’s national advisory for cybersecurity and risk, John Riggi said that the recovery process can often take weeks, as per AP.
"These are threat-to-life crimes, which risk not only the safety of the patients within the hospital but also risk the safety of the entire community that depends on the availability of that emergency department to be there," Riggi said, as quoted by AP.
According to The Guardian, cyberattacks and hacking have seen an increase across the globe in recent years.
Speaking over the development, the FBI in Connecticut said it was with "law enforcement partners and the victim entities". However, the federal agency could not comment on the probe into the attack, reported The Guardian.
The cyberattack hindered medical facilities forcing general departments at several hospitals to close while patients were sent to nearby clinics.
Procedures like elective surgeries, outpatient appointments, blood drives and other services were suspended, while the emergency departments reopened late Thursday, the Guardian mentioned in its report.
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