Buzău Hospital

Buzău Hospital is a healthcare facility located in Buzău, Romania, that provides medical services to the local population, including inpatient and outpatient care, emergency treatment, diagnostic testing, and medication management. The hospital relies on the Hippocrates medical software system to maintain electronic health records, schedule admissions, store test results, and process medication orders for its patients. By using this integrated platform, clinicians at Buzău Hospital can coordinate care across departments and ensure that patient information is accessible for clinical decision‑making. The software also supports administrative functions such as billing and resource planning, contributing to the hospital’s operational efficiency. As part of the Romanian healthcare network, Buzău Hospital serves residents of Buzău city and the surrounding county, offering a range of specialties typical of a regional general hospital.

In February 2024, Buzău Hospital was among over one hundred Romanian hospitals impacted by a nationwide ransomware campaign that exploited a vulnerability in the Hippocrates medical software. Attackers deployed the BackMyData strain, encrypting files and demanding payment in bitcoin, which forced the hospital to disconnect from the internet and revert to paper‑based processes for admissions, test results, and medication orders. Hospital staff continued to deliver care using manual records while IT teams worked to restore systems from backups, and within several days most affected facilities, including Buzău Hospital, resumed normal electronic operations. Authorities confirmed that the incident did not result in any reported fatalities or serious patient harm, highlighting the resilience of the hospital’s response despite the disruption. The episode underscored the importance of cybersecurity safeguards for health‑information systems used across Romania’s hospital sector.