Nurses union questions safety as ransomware hits Health Sciences Centre systems

The Manitoba Nurses Union has raised concerns about safety for its members following a ransomware attack that has impacted some maintenance systems at Winnipeg’s Health Sciences Centre. Darlene Jackson, the union's president, expressed worry that the breach is affecting certain door access points at the hospital, despite the union previously declaring the facility too dangerous to work at last year due to safety concerns.

Shared Health, the provincial healthcare body, confirmed the attack, which includes heating, ventilation, and cooling systems, and door access systems, but stated that patient care and clinical operations remain unaffected and fully operational. Jackson is currently unaware of which specific doors have been affected, but reports indicate that security guards have been deployed at the entrances.

The hospital is conducting an investigation, including a review of the affected systems, and Shared Health is working with third-party experts to resolve the incident. The province was notified of the breach, and the health body is collaborating with cyber experts to address the issue. Jackson mentioned that union staff were informed of the attack late Monday afternoon, expressing particular concern if the breach allowed doors to be unlocked.

Manitoba's auditor general had previously called for improved cybersecurity at Shared Health in a 2024 report, recommending annual testing and additional training for the organization's cybersecurity incident response team.