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Cyberattack Crisis:  NHLS hack continues to cause chaos in South Africa healthcare facilities 

12 July 2024.15:30
Linda Ravenhill
 

Three weeks after it was first reported, the cyberattack on South Africa's National Health Laboratory Service continues to disrupt patient care and medical decision-making.

The hack, which occurred on June 22, was caused by ransomware that targeted selected parts of the NHLS IT systems, rendering them inaccessible and blocking communication from the laboratory information system and other databases. 

According to the initial statement released by the NHLS, it's investigation had revealed that parts of the system, including the backup servers, had been deleted, which would necessitate a rebuild of the affected components.

NHLS CEO Professor Koleka Mlisana, reassured the public that no patient data had been compromised. She indicated that the hackers were known to the NHLS and were the same group responsible for several similar global attacks. She reiterated that no contact had been made with the infiltrators and that the NHLS would not be paying a ransom.

As a result of the attack, the 265 laboratories that make up the NHLS have been reduced to entering results manually and delivering them to hospitals and clinicians via printout or telephone contact, resulting in significant delays and backlogs. 

The Progressive Health Forum's, Dr Aslam Dasoo has highlighted that millions of blood and pathology tests have been affected. This has forced doctors to rely on clinical judgment without laboratory results, potentially endangering patients' lives, particularly in critical cases. He called on private sector laboratories to use their spare capacity to alleviate the situation.

Ransomware attacks on healthcare facilities are on the increased globally.  In February this year, the Change Healthcare data breach in the United States is thought to have impacted more than a third of Americans. The true impact of the incident may not be known for months or even years to come.

A recent article published in The Lancet (May 2024) noted that the European Repository of Cyber Incidents recorded an increase in attacks in the region from 32 events in 2022 to 121 in 2023. 

The rise has been attributed to increasing vulnerabilities in healthcare systems as more applications and services become digitally interconnected and used by many different users.

Back at home, the NHLS is working to restore its online system and expects to be back up and running by mid-July. Meanwhile, critical test results are being communicated via telephone to ensure continuity of essential health services.

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