KUWAIT CITYThe Ministry of Health has issued a statement clarifying its previous announcement regarding technical malfunctions affecting some of its systems. The ministry reported that over the past few days, monitoring efforts revealed electronic hacking attempts on its systems and devices, which impacted several health facilities and administrative systems.

In response to these incidents, the Ministry of Health took immediate action to ensure the continuity of essential health services across primary care centers, public hospitals, specialized centers, and health facilities. The ministry implemented measures to work with pre-prepared printed documents while safeguarding data integrity.

To mitigate the issue, the ministry coordinated with relevant government security agencies, which assisted in containing the problem and preventing its escalation. Infected systems were promptly disconnected from the network, while protection measures were enhanced through software updates and strict access control procedures. Additionally, early detection systems for cyber threats were activated.

The ministry successfully restored its main systems and hospital operations from the first day of the incident. Notably, the attack did not compromise or encrypt the main databases. The ministry emphasized that primary healthcare centers had to be temporarily shut down to update and install new software versions to protect against future attacks.

Many essential systems were restored in record time compared to similar cyber incidents faced by institutions worldwide. The ministry managed to decode the attack and recover its systems using secure backups, including those at the Kuwait Cancer Control Center and hospitals such as Mubarak Al-Kabeer, Jahra, Amiri, Farwaniya, and Adan. Administrative systems, including the health insurance system and expatriate labor examination system, were also reactivated.

The Ministry of Health is collaborating with government security agencies to restore the remaining systems, which are expected to be fully operational soon. Continuous security testing is being conducted in partnership with relevant institutions to eliminate any residual malicious software and ensure the safety of all systems. The ministry reaffirmed its commitment to protecting data and providing necessary health services with the required quality for all citizens and residents.