NZ health app MediMap hack: Patients renamed 'Charlie Kirk' and marked as dead

MediMap, a major digital medical records platform used by aged care facilities, hospices, and pharmacies across the motu, has gone offline following a significant security breach that saw patient data maliciously altered. 

According to reports from Stuff, the hackers didn't just steal data - they actively tampered with it. Some living patients were "marked as deceased" in the system, while others had their names changed to prominent American conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, who was recently assassinated. 

The impact of the hack is widespread, particularly within the vulnerable aged care sector. 

The Aged Care Association estimates that as many as 60 per cent of New Zealand's aged care facilities rely on MediMap to manage and record accurate medication doses. With the system now completely offline for "data integrity checks," staff at these facilities have been forced to ditch their tablets and switch back to paper-based processes to ensure residents receive the correct life-sustaining treatments.

The live reaction to the breach highlights a growing sense of frustration and fear within the medical community. Health providers have expressed grave concerns that the unauthorised changes to patient records could lead to dangerous errors in medication administration if not caught by vigilant staff. 

In a statement, MediMap confirmed it is investigating the scope of the impact and working closely with Health NZ to resolve the issue. The company told providers in an email that the application will remain offline while they investigate and carry out extensive data integrity checks to provide clearer guidance on a resolution.

This latest cyberattack comes just two months after another privately owned patient portal, Manage My Health, was caught up in a major privacy breach. That incident is already the subject of an inquiry by the Privacy Commissioner. 

For many Kiwi families with loved ones in care, the MediMap hack is a chilling reminder of how vulnerable the nation’s digitised health records have become. 

MediMap has not yet provided a definitive timeline for when the service will return, stating only that they need to ensure all data is accurate before the system can safely go live again. For now, nurses and caregivers across Aotearoa are keeping their clipboards close as they navigate this digital blackout.