Máxima MC Hospital, with branches in Eindhoven and Veldhoven, is experiencing a network failure on Tuesday. Operations, other appointments and treatments in the hospital are therefore cancelled.
“Some systems work, others don’t,” a spokesperson said. She could not yet say exactly how many patients were affected by the disruption. Hospital care for current patients continues as normal. Telephone appointments and web consultations are cancelled. The emergency room is also closed.
According to the hospital, it is not a hack. “It’s really a technical problem,” the spokesperson said. For example, the hospital cannot access the electronic patient files. The affected patients will be called personally, the hospital reports on its website.
Not everyone is aware
Some patients appear not to have been aware of the disruption on Tuesday morning. They have come to the hospital for their appointment, but cannot be helped. “I did receive a call when I was in the car, but I couldn’t answer then,” one of them told a reporter from Omroep Brabant.
Another man: “It’s business as usual for us. It’s not for nothing that I come from so far away to allow myself to be sent away for so long. I already called for that this morning.” A woman on a mobility scooter says she did not receive a call. “I was always afraid of those computers. I’ll go inside to eat a sandwich because I’m cold. Look at it positively, right?”, the woman concludes.
Exact cause
The hospital leaves it unclear what exactly is going on. The Máxima MC was already experiencing a telephone disruption on Monday evening. The problems started due to an unknown cause. On Tuesday the hospital reported a network failure.