Files on 39 addiction treatment clients found in Regina dumpster, privacy commissioner says
A recent report from the province’s privacy commissioner says the Métis Addictions Council of Saskatchewan Inc. (MACSI) failed to take appropriate steps after patient treatment files were discovered in a recycling bin.
Commissioner Ronald Kruzeniski was alerted of the privacy breach on Aug. 5, 2022, after receiving a report that files with the information of MACSI patients had been found in a bin in the Douglas Park area of Regina, according to the March 15 report.
Office staff were sent to investigate, eventually recovering 174 pages of documents from the bin that included treatment details, contact information, birthdates, health card numbers and location of 39 patients, Kruzeniski says.
An interview with MACSI staff revealed the files were dumped sometime after lunch on Aug. 4, the report says.
“The records were dumped in an unsecured recycling bin, and anyone who came to the bin would have the ability to view or even take the MACSI records,” Kruzeniski said.
“MACSI lost total control of the records, including who could have potentially viewed or taken them from the bin.”
After learning of the discovery, staff at MACSI waited an entire week before searching the bin for additional records, the report says, meaning any medical records left behind could have been accessed by others.
This search of the bin was the only step the organization took to contain the privacy breach, Kruzeniski writes. The organization made no attempt to learn if the recycling bin had been emptied in the week between when staff learned of the breach and when they did a follow-up search.
MACSI also failed to notify the 39 people whose private information was breached, arguing they were vulnerable clients and did not have contact information, the report says.
Kruzeniski says the organization could still have posted notices in its offices and on its website.
“I find MACSI did not make enough effort to provide notification to affected individuals,” he said.
In investigating the privacy breach, MACSI told the commissioner the files were improperly disposed of due to human error. Papers had been placed on top of their shredder, which had a paper jam at the time.
“However, MACSI was not able to conclude how the materials went from being placed on top of the shredder to ending up in the recycling bin,” said Kruzeniski.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
BREAKING Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
A fight to protect the dignity of Michelangelo's David raises questions about freedom of expression
Michelangelo's David has been a towering figure in Italian culture since its completion in 1504. But in the current era of the quick buck, curators worry the marble statue's religious and political significance is being diminished.
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.
China's latest EV is a 'connected' car from smart phone and electronics maker Xiaomi
Xiaomi, a well-known maker of smart consumer electronics in China, is joining the country's booming but crowded market for electric cars.