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Entrance to the Bonn University Hospital

Photo: Oliver Berg/dpa

A central problem in the data centers is causing significant restrictions at the University Hospital of Bonn (UKB).

Surrounding emergency services were informed not to approach the university hospital again if possible.

Currently, only acute, serious emergencies can be treated, said a spokeswoman for the dpa news agency.

The restrictions would also apply to the obstetrics department and neonatology for premature babies, reported the General-Anzeiger.

"The UKB is currently deregistered for additional external patients, apart from those who urgently need us," said the spokeswoman.

You have to temporarily limit yourself to the necessary minimum.

Helicopter approaches were re-registered to an emergency system, it said.

However, the patients already cared for would continue to be treated.

Laboratory information or new registrations cannot currently be processed on computers as usual, but would have to be done by hand and using forms.

Servers were shut down and restarted

The IT department of the UKB is working with “external support and with maximum effort” to identify and eliminate the problem.

There is currently no evidence of a cyber attack, said the spokeswoman.

According to reports from the “General-Anzeiger”, all of the university hospital’s servers had to be shut down.

It is hoped that the systems will be fully available again during the evening.

Late at noon, the planning staff was convened under the chairmanship of the board, which meets regularly.

WDR also reported.

CEO Wolfgang Holzgreve positively emphasized that the emergency system that comes into play in such cases worked well.

In 2020, an unexploded bomb from the Second World War caused parts of the Bonn University Hospital to be evacuated, and intensive care patients were also affected.

In the same year, an IT failure paralyzed the university clinic in Düsseldorf.

Operations had to be postponed and ambulances had to be diverted.

Experts have been warning for years that hospitals could become targets of cybercrime.

mgo/dpa