In the early morning hours of January 13, one of Belgium’s leading hospitals suddenly found itself nearly paralyzed. AZ Monica, with locations in Antwerp and Deurne, was hit by a cyberattack that knocked out its key IT systems. As a result, dozens of surgeries were postponed, patients had to be urgently reassigned, and doctors temporarily lost access to their electronic medical records.
As hospital CEO Gert Smits reported at a press conference, serious disruptions were detected in several digital systems around 6:32 a.m.
As a precaution, management quickly shut down some servers on both campuses. The prosecutor’s office later officially confirmed that the attack was indeed a cyberattack. According to available information, the attackers used ransomware, but no ransom demands have been received so far.
This is the first incident of its kind at AZ Monica and the impact on the facility’s operations has been significant.
All scheduled surgeries and a significant number of doctor appointments have been postponed. According to management, ensuring patient safety and continuity of care has become a top priority. Approximately eighty surgeries have been canceled, and all affected patients have been promised personal notification and a rescheduled appointment.
Diagnostic procedures have also been affected. Since virtually all hospital processes rely on digital infrastructure, radiological examinations, diagnostic imaging, endoscopy, and other tests have been temporarily suspended .
Most chemotherapy treatments were also postponed. Patients requiring urgent care were admitted to Antwerp University Hospital . The management of AZ Monica expressly thanked neighboring hospitals for their prompt care and support.
Patients already hospitalized continue to receive necessary care, and hospital visits are not prohibited. However, seven unstable patients, whose safety could not be guaranteed under the current conditions, have been transferred to other medical facilities in the region.
The emergency department is operating at reduced capacity , and mobile emergency services are temporarily out of service. Most visits are still formally ongoing, but doctors are experiencing difficulties due to the lack of access to electronic medical records.
The reasons for the attack remain unclear.
The investigation is being conducted by the police, the prosecutor’s office, and the Federal Police’s specialized cybercrime unit. Hospital management claims that the leak of patient personal data was prevented by promptly shutting down the servers.
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