Hospitals - University clinic back to normal operation after computer failure
After a large-scale technical disruption on a Friday, the University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein at the locations in Kiel and Lübeck is running again in normal operation. According to the UKSH, all planned surgeries at the hospital sites were cancelled and the ambulances were closed due to worldwide problems caused by a faulty software update from the manufacturer Crowdstrike.
On Friday morning, measures for troubleshooting were initiated. This includes contacting the manufacturer Crowdstrike. The responsible client was uninstalled and defective system data was cleaned on all affected computers. Approximately 9000 computers at the UKSH were affected.
"Thanks to the dedicated actions of the employees in the various clinical areas such as the ambulances, intensive care units, emergency departments, wards, pharmacy, finance management, facility management, and service Stern Nord, patient safety was constantly ensured," said Clinic CEO Jens Scholz.
Errors were identified and in particular the emergency departments, operating rooms, intensive care units, laboratories, the processing unit for medical devices, delivery rooms, radiology, catheter laboratories, and pharmacy were already back in operation on Friday. The rest of the repairs took place over the weekend.
Examination of financial damage
The financial damage caused by the IT failure at the University Hospital is still not clear, according to the Norddeutscher Rundfunk, quoting Clinic Chief Scholz. The extent of the damage is currently being examined. The hospital intends to demand compensation for damages.
The disturbance at the University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, primarily affecting Kiel and Lübeck, was triggered by a computer malfunction resulting from a software problem with Crownstrike's update. Ambulances were temporarily closed as a consequence, disrupting normal operations. Despite the challenges, the hospital's various departments, including ambulances, intensive care units, emergency departments, wards, pharmacy, finance management, facility management, and service Stern Nord, worked diligently to ensure patient safety. Fortunately, crucial areas such as emergency departments, operating rooms, intensive care units, and pharmacy resumed operations on Friday itself. The remaining repairs were carried out over the weekend. The financial repercussions of this IT failure at the University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein are still under investigation, and the hospital is contemplating potential compensation claims.
