The ‘Koningin Wilhelmina gasthuis voor ooglijders’ was opened on 3 January 1909 after a period of ambulatory care for eye disease, started in 1901 by the ophthalmologist Dr. H. Westhoff. This ophthalmologist was given the assignment to train indigenous eye doctors (called doekoens mata) on an experimental base. Westhoff gave considerable attention and energy to this training and achieved some success. There was published a list of 18 doekoens mata for Java in the 1909 Annual Report of the Civil Medical Service. However since there was a lot of criticism from the medical profession, this experiment was stopped.

It became a government hospital in 1909. In that year the Civil Medical Service reports 2,536 inpatient admissions and 500 large operations. The hospital had got one head nurse and several indigenous nursing assistants. There were three nursing classes: 2nd class (nursing tariff ƒ 6), 3rd class (tariff: ƒ 3) and 4th class (tariff:  ƒ 1,50). (See Bijblad Indisch Staatsblad no. 11446 dd 30 August 1927).

The Association to improve life conditions of blind people in the NI went on to promote the establishment of outpatient clinics, while by 1910 already four eye clinics had been established. In 1913, the Queen Wilhelmina Eye Hospital at Bandung lost its dedicated director C.H.A. Westhoff (1848-1913). It was in the year in which the hospital celebrated its first lustrum and reported its achievements. The director was succeeded by the ophthalmologist G.P. Utermohlen, but a few years later P. Wijn is mentioned as director, the health officer who had before started an eye clinic at Ngawi.

In 1930 outreaching activities were organized for the surrounding area of Bandung (Sumedang, Tenjungsari, Congeang, Darmaraja, Situraja and Legok). During the years 1942 – 1945 the hospital functioned as a general hospital.

Nowadays, the new successor hospital is called: Rumah Sakit Khusus Mata Cicendo.

Since 1961 it functions as a university hospital for the Medical Faculty of the Padjadjaran University and in 1976 is it appointed as Eye Bank Activity Centre and World Health Day Activity Centre with the theme Prevention of Blindness. From 1977 to 1979 it becomes the Research Office for the prevention of Vitamin-A shortage, cooperating with AFOB and the Ministry of Health. In 1978 it is assigned type C hospital by the Ministry of Health. In 1992 it was assigned as non-educative hospital type B.

In the year 2000 five of its services were accredited.In 2005 twelve services were accredited. In 2006 the hospitaal was accredited as hospital type A for the department Ophthalmology of the Medical Faculty of Padjadjaran University. In 2007 it became a specialized hospital Class A and it became a hospital with a Public Service Agency (PPK BLU)Financieel Management Pattern. In 2009 it was assigned as National Eye Center. In 2014 it was assigned as academic hospital and was accredited on plenary level by the Hospital Accreditation Commission (KARS). In 2017 it received again a plenary accreditation. In 2020 it was recognized as international hospital.