TOKYO, Jan. 18 (AP) - (Kyodo)— Personal information of about 150 people treated by a doctor at the University of Tokyo Hospital and three other hospitals have been leaked onto the Internet from the doctor's private computer, hospital officials said Thursday. The university hospital has yet to learn of any reports of misuse of the leaked information, which included the patients' names, dates of birth and medical records, the officials said.
The data were leaked through file-sharing software installed in the computer the doctor had at home, the officials said, adding that the doctor is working for the university hospital.
The personal information was left under the circumstance that it could be browsed or shared by anybody via the Internet for about five hours from 10 a.m. Sunday, they said.
The information was a backup file the doctor made and kept in a computer at home about 10 years ago based on records of the 150 people he treated at the four hospitals in Tokyo and the vicinity, the officials said.
One of the officials apologized for the incident saying, "We prohibit in principle (the staff) from bringing patients' personal information outside the hospital and using file-sharing software. But employees were not fully aware (of the importance of) managing personal information."
