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IT emergency in Lörrach: Clinics paralyzed due to server failure!
IT failure in Lörrach: Overheated servers cause emergency treatments in clinics. Security of care in focus.
IT emergency in Lörrach: Clinics paralyzed due to server failure!
In the night of Saturday, October 4, 2025, an overheating of the IT server system caused considerable problems in the Lörracher district clinics. According to Tagesschau.de could no longer work properly due to the failure of the air conditioning in the data center. The emergency care was therefore temporarily redirected to surrounding hospitals.
Despite these disorders, the Lörracher clinics were impressive to continue to accept and look after emergency births. Devices associated with computers, such as MRI and X-ray systems, could not be used. Fortunately, there were no signs of an external cyber attack. The disorder in the digital infrastructure was finally fully remedied on Saturday evening, so that emergency room and other areas were ready for use again.
A look at the weak points
These incidents throw a bright light on the vulnerabilities in the IT of clinics. Like other clinics in Germany, which experienced massive IT disorders between July 7 and 9, 2025, the Lörracher district clinics show urgency for robust IT management. In Reutlingen and at the clinic network of Ameos, not only missed operations, but also the contact with patients was restricted, which indicates systematic weaknesses, such as LinkedIn.
Especially complex systems, as are available in the clinics, not only require regular maintenance work, but also the consideration of redundancies. In the past, poor technologies have already led to serious problems, as the technical disorder in the server room of the Reutlingen district clinics showed. Here the IT failure was caused by maintenance work on the air conditioning system, which ultimately led to a short circuit.
Necessary measures to improve
Experts urgently advise a careful risk assessment and effective weakness management to ensure patient safety. The principles of information security are essential for the operation of clinics, according to the claims for corresponding legal regulations such as the BSIS or the CRITICIS regulation. In particular, the recent incidents make it clear that the need for practical structures in IT, invested resources and a profound culture of security is extremely important.
It remains to be seen which measures the Lörracher district clinics and other affected institutions get to prevent future failures. The trust of the population in medical care is at stake, and it is crucial that those responsible have a good hand to strengthen digital infrastructures.
Read more about the effects of network errors on data centers and their importance for the clinic company in Computer Woche.