CHARLOTTETOWN — The health authority in P.E.I. says someone has gained unauthorized access to a file containing personal information belonging to as many as 234,000 people.

Health PEI says in a statement that the cybersecurity incident was reported Sept. 7 and involves a company providing services to the authority.

The health authority did not name the company.

The authority says the company’s file was created in 2011 and contained health-card information, including names, birthdays, genders, personal health numbers and details about medicare eligibility.

Those affected had a P.E.I. health card in or before 2011, or were non-residents who received health services on the Island between 2008 and 2011.

Laurae Kloschinsky, interim CEO of Health PEI, says the risk that this information will be misused is low.

Health PEI says the province’s privacy commissioner has been called in to investigate.

“We recognize that learning about a privacy incident involving personal health information may be concerning,” Kloschinsky said in a statement.

“We take the privacy and protection of personal health information seriously and are notifying the public to be transparent and to ensure potentially affected individuals are aware of the incident.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published

The Canadian Press