Cyber attack delays lab tests in healthcare facilities
Tshwane public healthcare facilities are experiencing delays in lab test results due to a cyber attack on the National Health Laboratory Services system.
Tshwane metro has confirmed that all public health facilities in the metro, including its 24 PHC (primary healthcare) clinics, are experiencing delays in laboratory test results.
Natashia Chhiba said according to National Health Laboratory Services (NHLS) the lag is due to a security breach in their system.
NHLS spokesperson Professor Koleka Mlisana said a ransomware attack crippled their IT systems and forced a manual processing of diagnostic samples.
She said the attack occurred at midnight on Friday, June 21.
“It affected NHLS’s data centres, rendering virtual servers and data storage inaccessible, with some data deleted, including backups,” she said.
“While the Enterprise Resource Planning (Oracle) environment and Laboratory Information System (Trakcare) database were spared, the breach has still caused significant disruption to services,” she added.
Mlisana said internal experts and external cybersecurity professionals will investigate the scope of the breach and restore vital services.
She added that in the meantime results will be communicated telephonically if urgent and the rest will be manually printed and distributed to healthcare facilities and clinicians.
According to the Gauteng Department of Health spokesperson, Motalatale Modiba critical tests such as blood tests for sodium, potassium, glucose, and other vital chemicals are prioritised.
He said urgent tests for infections and other serious conditions are considered to ensure that essential health services continue.
“Our facilities have point-of-care equipment such as i-STAT machines that can provide healthcare professionals with diagnostic information key for patient care,” he said.
“The Department appeals for patience during this time and assures the public that we are working closely with NHLS to resolve this issue as quickly as possible.”
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