Cyber-stricken Belgian hospitals refuse ambulances, transfer critical patients

Cyber-stricken Belgian hospitals refuse ambulances, transfer critical patients

Summary

Two hospitals run by AZ Monica in Antwerp and Deurne shut down servers after a cyberattack, forcing the cancellation of surgeries and the transfer of critically ill patients to nearby hospitals. Emergency departments are operating at reduced capacity, MUG and PIT mobile emergency services are temporarily unavailable, and ambulances are not transporting patients to the affected sites. The organisation reports prioritising patient safety and continuity of care while it monitors the incident.

Key Points

1. AZ Monica (Antwerp and Deurne) has shut servers following a cyberattack, disrupting normal operations.
2. Seven critically ill patients were transferred to other hospitals with Red Cross assistance; 70 surgeries were cancelled on the day reported.
3. Emergency departments are at reduced capacity; ambulances are being diverted and no patients are being taken to AZ Monica by ambulance.
4. Mobile Urgency Group (MUG) and Paraprofessional Intervention Team (PIT) services are temporarily unavailable.
5. Patients are advised to contact their GP, out-of-hours clinic, or alternative emergency services; visitation for already admitted patients remains permitted.

Content Summary

On 14 January 2026 AZ Monica confirmed a cyber incident that has significantly disrupted hospital services. To protect patients and hospital systems the organisation shut down affected servers, which halted key emergency response functions and forced the postponement of numerous planned operations. Critical-care transfers were co‑ordinated with the Red Cross to ensure continuity of treatment for the most vulnerable patients. The hospital network says it is monitoring the situation and will provide further updates when available.

Context and Relevance

This event fits a worrying trend of cyberattacks targeting healthcare providers, where operational outages translate directly into patient risk. The disruption to MUG/PIT capabilities and ambulance diversions highlights how cyber incidents can degrade pre-hospital and in-hospital emergency care. For health and IT professionals, and anyone involved in emergency planning or critical-infrastructure security, the incident underscores the need for robust contingency plans, segmented networks, and tested manual procedures.

Why should I read this?

Short version: hospitals had to turn away ambulances and move critical patients because of a hack. If you care about how cybercrime translates into real-world harm — or if you work in health, emergency services, IT or risk — this is a neat, worrying snapshot of what can go wrong and why contingency planning matters. We’ve read the detail so you don’t have to — but you should skim the specifics if any of this touches your patch.

Source

Source: https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2026/01/14/belgium_hospital_cyberattack/