A major data breach has compromised the personal information of tens of thousands of patients after the Hospital Authority’s system was hacked, prompting an investigation by Hong Kong’s privacy watchdog.

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data on Saturday said the breach affected more than 56,000 people.

The leaked personal details included names, identity card numbers, appointment dates, and medical information.

The authority said its monitoring system identified a suspected breach that resulted in the theft and leakage of patients' details on a third-party platform.

It also said it had conducted a review of its internal network system and found it to be operating securely and normally.

The authority added that it had reported the case to the police and contacted those affected by the incident.


Edited by Robert Kemp