Four patients who developed an infection following an eye operation at Utrecht University’s teaching hospital last year have gone blind in one eye as a result, television current affairs show Zembla said on Friday.

In total, six patients picked up an infection during the operation. The four who have lost an eye are holding the hospital responsible.

The hospital has carried out an investigation into the infections but has been unable to find the cause, a spokesman told Zembla in a written statement. ‘A number of factors could have increased the risk of infection for these patients,’ the statement said.

The hospital has offered all four a financial settlement, without accepting responsibility.

Courts

Jasper Keizer, who represents one of the patients, said the hospital is being much too vague. ‘They should be giving more clarity about the factors which may have led to the infection,’ he said. ‘And if they don’t, we will ask the courts to force the hospital to prove it is not responsible.’

The hospital is currently under special health ministry supervision after a number of problems in different departments.