NT Health revises patient count after Darwin Hospital privacy breach

The Northern Territory health department has backtracked on its claim that only five patients were affected by a privacy breach that resulted in pregnant women’s confidential medical information being shared publicly on Instagram by a “medical observer.” The disclosure followed coverage by the ABC, which identified affected women and found several were learning of the incident through media reports rather than direct notification from RDH.

The incident occurred when Neda Mogharehabed, an overseas-trained doctor visiting Royal Darwin Hospital from 12 to 14 October, posted photos and videos that included patient names, ID numbers, medical conditions and other sensitive information.

NT Health said the content had been removed from Dr Mogharehabed’s account and that she was no longer linked with the department. The ABC reported that more patients were notified than the department had initially identified, and several affected women confirmed they had not previously been aware of the breach.

The story notes the breach involved RDH and that the hospital identified the situation as an insider data exposure, with the post-incident response focusing on removing materials and dissociating the individual from the department. The piece attributes the evolving figures and notification approach to statements from RDH and reporting by the ABC.