A former Alberta Health Services (AHS) employee has been fined $12,000 for knowingly falsifying nearly 200 COVID-19 immunization records, marking the third-largest fine in the history of Alberta’s Health Information Act (HIA).
The Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner (OIPC) launched an investigation into the case in June 2023 after AHS reported a breach.
The investigation revealed that Hind Mahmoud Dabash, employed in an administrative support role, altered health records between September 3 and November 24, 2021.
False information entered into the Meditech health system subsequently impacted Alberta Health’s Immunization and Adverse Reaction to Immunization (ImmARI) system, the province’s vaccine records database.
On November 19, Dabash pled guilty to the charge of knowingly using and creating health information in violation of the HIA. A second charge, alleging unauthorized access to the health information of 199 individuals, was withdrawn. Justice Mah of the Alberta Court of Justice imposed the $12,000 fine.
The OIPC, which operates independently of the government, enforces Alberta’s access to information and privacy laws, including the HIA. The Commissioner’s office oversees compliance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, the Personal Information Protection Act, and the Health Information Act.