Kendrapara, Dec. 8: In a case of medical negligence, a surgeon allegedly left gauge and cotton inside the operated part of a patient after a hydrosil surgery, triggering a furore at the district headquarters hospital today.

For 50-year-old Surendra Nath Rout, the man who underwent the surgery, it was a nightmare, as he developed excruciating pain a few days after the operation.

'The operated part developed swelling. I suffered from unbearable pain from swelling. I went to the hospital and consulted the doctor. He prescribed some painkiller tablets. There was temporary relief. However, things aggravated gradually. Finally, it ruptured and foreign particles such as cotton and gauge came out of it. I was rushed to the hospital again. I was given fresh treatment. The wounds are now healing. I am feeling better now,' Rout, a native of Nagapura village, said.

'There is denying of the fact that the negligent doctor had left gauge and cotton while conducting the operation. The negligent doctor should be taken to task. I am being told not to aggravate the matter. It leads me to believe that the hospital authorities are trying to cover up the case to protect the accused surgeon,' Rout said.

Rout is now being provided with post-surgical care in the hospital and is recovering fast, said hospital sources.

The state health department has ordered a probe into the alleged medical lapse.

Chief district medical officer Binayak Swain said: 'The allegations are being looked into. The additional district medical officer has been asked to conduct an inquiry into the matter. If the probe finds any veracity, disciplinary action will be taken against the accused surgeon.'

'It is an act of criminal negligence that could have turned fatal. The doctor has failed to provide the care, which is expected. He should be suspended immediately. Criminal cases should be registered against him,' said Manoj Kumar Satapathy, a human rights activist.