TAOYUAN (TVBS News) — Taiwan's Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW, 衛福部), the island's national health agency, confirmed Monday (April 21) that cybercriminals have breached the digital security systems of Taoyuan's Chansn Hospital (長慎醫院), compromising sensitive medical data of more than 80,000 patients. Officials have launched a full-scale investigation into what appears to be part of a troubling pattern targeting the nation's healthcare institutions.
The targeted facility, located in Zhongli (中壢) district of Taoyuan City, holds the distinction of being Taiwan's first specialized geriatric hospital. Administrators first detected unusual activity in their computer networks last Wednesday, prompting immediate internal alerts. This specialized medical center, which emerged from the Hsinchu Anshen Clinic System (新竹安慎診所體系), serves a predominantly elderly patient population through its dialysis services and diabetes management programs.
Hospital administrators have implemented contingency protocols, reverting to paper-based record-keeping and manual procedures while technical teams work to restore compromised systems. Health ministry officials noted disturbing similarities between this security breach and recent cyberattacks that targeted two major Taiwanese medical institutions — Mackay Memorial Hospital (馬偕醫院) and Changhua Christian Hospital (彰化基督教醫院) — suggesting a coordinated campaign against the island's healthcare infrastructure.
Li Jian-zhang (李建璋), who heads the health ministry's information technology division, verified the cyberattack's occurrence during a press briefing. He disclosed that the ministry has notified Taiwan's cybersecurity agencies, which have intensified surveillance across healthcare networks nationwide. Health authorities have advised affected patients to carefully monitor their personal accounts and medical records for any suspicious activities that might indicate identity theft or unauthorized access.
