Ontario MPP demands accountability after health-care data breach

A Liberal member of provincial parliament is calling for accountability from the Ford government over a data breach that may have exposed the healthcare information of 200,000 Ontarians.

In a news conference Wednesday, Liberal MPP and emergency room physician Dr. Adil Shamji says Premier Doug Ford and Health Minister Sylvia Jones could have known for as long as three and a half months before the information became public.

The government hasn’t said when they were informed.

Ontario Health atHome confirms that one of its vendors, called ‘Ontario Medical Supplies’, was hit by a cyber-attack, and that patient information had been breached. That includes names, contact information, and medical supplies and equipment orders.

Ontario Health atHome also says it reported the incident to the information and privacy commissioner – and an investigation is ongoing.

The Ministry of Health hasn’t said how many patients receiving at-home care were compromised in the breach, but Shamji believes it’s around 200,000.

Shamji also points to the timeline of events — saying the breach happened on March 17, and it took until May 30 for the commissioner to be informed.

From there, it took nearly another month until the government publicly acknowledged the breach, in response to Shamji’s questions, and ordered for patients to be notified.

“The legal standard requires that affected individuals be notified as soon as reasonably possible, usually within a day or two. Sometimes within a week or two. Yet over three and a half months have passed since this breach and patients weren’t informed until I pushed the issue,” said Shamji.

“Ontario Health is absolutely investigating right now, we have a division that focuses on any potential cyber breach. And as is standard operating, Ontario Health and Ontario Health atHome will notify if there has been any form of breach to individual patients,” said Jones.

CHCH News has reached out to the Ministry of Health for more answers, but hasn’t yet heard back.

Also today, the Ministry of Health announced an investment of $125 million for more orthopedic surgeries to take place at community clinics, outside of hospitals.

Dr. Shamji says the Liberals are not opposed to out-of-hospital procedures, but would like to see more oversight on third-party healthcare clinics.

READ MORE: Ontario expanding publicly funded hip and knee surgeries done in private clinics