CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — The New Hampshire health department is fighting efforts by Exeter Hospital to limit the release of medical records related the hepatitis C outbreak at its cardiac catheterization lab.

David Kwiatkowski, a former lab worker, has been charged with stealing drugs from the hospital and replacing them with tainted syringes that were later used on patients. Thirty-two patients have been diagnosed with the same strain of the liver-destroying disease Kwiatkowski carries since the investigation began in May.

Exeter Hospital has asked a court to prevent the Department of Public Health Services from accessing patient records and interviewing staff. On Tuesday, the attorney general’s office filed an objection to that request and asked for a hearing, saying state law requires hospitals to provide information during a communicable disease investigation.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.