'Battlefield Open': UAE Hospital Chief Warns Of Cyberattacks On Infirmaries During Conflicts

Hospitals could face disruptions to critical medical equipment, blood supplies and communications as cyberattacks become an increasingly important part of modern warfare, the chairman of Burjeel Holdings has warned.

Dr Shamsheer Vayalil said healthcare facilities were particularly vulnerable because their interconnected systems and devices could create multiple points of exposure during a cyberattack.

“The battlefield is not just near the lines. The battlefield is open,” he said during a discussion at the 46th World Congress of Military Medicine in Abu Dhabi.

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He cited refrigerators used to store medical supplies, infusion pumps and blood storage systems as examples of healthcare infrastructure that could be compromised, warning that hospitals needed to prepare for threats beyond conventional attacks.

Vayalil said the nature of cyber warfare was changing, with healthcare providers facing new forms of hacking and disruption.

“Today we are getting all new surprises, new kinds of cyber warfare, new kinds of hacks, which we have never seen in the past,” he said.

He also stressed the importance of maintaining clear chains of command during emergencies, particularly when communications infrastructure is targeted.

“We need to be clear of the chain of command because the first thing that people are hitting are the communication channels,” he said.

His comments come as healthcare systems increasingly depend on connected medical devices, digital records and networks linking hospitals and other providers. A disruption to these systems can affect not only patient information but also the continuity of clinical services.

Abu Dhabi has an established healthcare cybersecurity framework. The Department of Health's AAMEN programme sets information security and data privacy requirements for healthcare facilities, while the Abu Dhabi Healthcare Computer Emergency Response Team monitors sector-level incidents, issues warnings and supports incident management and business continuity.

In May 2025, the department also signed an agreement with cybersecurity company CPX to strengthen the sector's readiness through cyber drills and the exchange of expertise.

Vayalil said healthcare providers must plan for scenarios in which systems or communications are disrupted, rather than assume that technology will always remain available.

He also argued that artificial intelligence and other technologies should strengthen the capabilities of doctors and healthcare teams, while preserving the role of human judgement in medical decisions.

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