TL;DR
Two hospitals run by AZ Monica have shut down servers after a cyberattack, cancelling surgeries and transferring seven critically ill patients to nearby facilities. Emergency departments are operating at reduced capacity, MUG and PIT services are unavailable, and ambulances are not currently transporting patients to the affected sites.
What happened
AZ Monica, which operates hospitals in Antwerp and Deurne, shut servers after a cyberattack and moved to limit disruption to patient care. The health network cancelled operations and arranged transfers of seven patients receiving critical care to other nearby hospitals with assistance from the Red Cross. The organisation reported emergency departments were functioning at reduced capacity and warned that Mobile Urgency Group (MUG) and Paraprofessional Intervention Team (PIT) services were temporarily unavailable. A local outlet, De Tijd, reported about 70 surgeries were cancelled on the day of the attack and said disruption could continue into the following day; the hospital network had not publicly confirmed that timeline. AZ Monica advised people seeking urgent care to first contact their general practitioner, out-of-hours clinic, or other emergency services, and warned of longer-than-usual registration times for visitors, while visitation for already admitted patients remained unaffected.
Why it matters
- Reduced emergency capacity and suspended MUG/PIT services can delay urgent pre-hospital and in-hospital care for patients in need.
- Transfer of critical patients places additional strain on nearby hospitals and emergency responders coordinating relocations.
- Widespread cancellations of surgeries disrupt planned care and may create backlogs for elective and urgent procedures.
- Ambulances diverting away from affected hospitals changes normal patient routing and local emergency response patterns.
Key facts
- The incident targeted hospitals operated by AZ Monica in Antwerp and Deurne.
- AZ Monica shut down servers after a cyberattack and limited some services to protect patients and continuity of care.
- Seven patients receiving critical care were transferred to other hospitals with help from the Red Cross.
- De Tijd reported about 70 surgeries were cancelled on the day of the attack.
- Emergency departments at the affected sites were operating at reduced capacity.
- Mobile Urgency Group (MUG) and Paraprofessional Intervention Team (PIT) services were temporarily unavailable.
- AZ Monica warned of longer-than-usual registration times for those visiting the affected hospitals.
- Visitation for patients already admitted was reported as unaffected.
- No patients were being transported to the affected hospitals by ambulance at the time of reporting.
What to watch next
- Whether AZ Monica releases further official updates and a timeline for restoring full services — not confirmed in the source.
- If disruption persists beyond January 14 and how long surgeries and emergency services remain affected — not confirmed in the source.
- Details of any investigation into the origin and method of the cyberattack and planned remedial measures — not confirmed in the source.
Quick glossary
- MUG (Mobile Urgency Group): A rapid-response medical team composed of clinicians and nurses that travels to the scene of an incident to provide emergency care.
- PIT (Paraprofessional Intervention Team): A team that provides emergency medical care and support during transport to a hospital.
- Server: A computer or system that provides data, services, or resources to other computers over a network; hospitals use servers for clinical records and operational systems.
- Emergency department: A hospital unit providing immediate treatment for acute illnesses and injuries requiring urgent care.
- Red Cross: A humanitarian organisation that provides emergency assistance and supports patient transport and other relief activities.
Reader FAQ
How many patients were transferred?
Seven patients receiving critical care were moved to other hospitals with Red Cross assistance.
Were any ambulances still bringing patients to the affected hospitals?
No patients were being transported to the affected hospitals by ambulance at the time of reporting.
How many surgeries were cancelled?
A local outlet reported about 70 surgeries were cancelled; the hospital network had not provided a figure.
Was the cause of the outages disclosed?
Not confirmed in the source.
Have any patients been harmed as a result of the attack?
Not confirmed in the source.
CYBER-CRIME Cyber-stricken Belgian hospitals refuse ambulances, transfer critical patients Attack enters second day with major disruption to healthcare provision Connor Jones Wed 14 Jan 2026 // 12:52 UTC Two hospitals in Belgium have cancelled…
Sources
- Cyber-stricken Belgian hospitals refuse ambulances, transfer critical patients
- Belgian hospitals refuse ambulances following cyberattack
- Cyberattack forces Belgian hospital AZ Monica to shut …
- AZ Monica hospital in Belgium shuts down servers after …
Related posts
- UK U-turn: digital ID no longer compulsory for right-to-work checks
- TikTok Shop Suggested Jewelry Listings Featuring Nazi Symbols
- UK secures record offshore wind capacity across Great Britain