Chatham woman wants to know why 'most vulnerable' are waiting for care as hospital recovers from cyberattack

Having just started a new antidepressant medication, Chatham-Kent resident Lynn McKerracher is worried about her health now that a check-in appointment with her psychiatrist has been delayed more than two weeks due to a ransomware attack. 

McKerracher, who has bipolar depression, anxiety and seasonal affective disorder, says she's been seeing a psychiatrist every four to six weeks for nearly 20 years. She says her doctor prescribes her medication and also monitors her mood, as it can easily shift. 

The 51-year-old says she had a psychiatrist appointment booked for Nov. 9 to check-in after she was prescribed to take another antidepressant in combination with one that she is already on. But days before the appointment, McKerracher says her psychiatrist's office, which is part of the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance (CKHA), told her that she couldn't be seen because computers are still down from the ransomware attack. 

She says she even asked for a phone call check-in, but that was also denied. More than two weeks later, McKerracher says her appointment still hasn't been rescheduled. The last time she saw her psychiatrist was Oct. 4. 

"It's been hard cause I worry a lot, that's part of my illness," said McKerracher, who has been on disability and stopped working in 2012 as a result of her diagnosis. 

"And I have no idea when I'm going to get a phone call and how long it's going to take for me to see my psychiatrist." 

CKHA is one of five hospitals in southwestern Ontario that is currently trying to recover from a ransomware attack that happened on Oct. 23.

In a text message, CKHA spokesperson Fannie Vavoulis said the hospital can't get into health details due to patient confidentiality. 

Vavoulis noted that due to the impact on systems, doctors might not be able to access a patient's records or medical history, their current medication list, reports from other doctors involved in that person's care and pre-operation assessments. 

While some systems are working, Vavoulis said that they are "slower than usual and require extra time."

Some doctors might cancel appointments if they feel it's not safe to continue due to a lack of critical information, but Vavoulis