145;Surgery still a male bastion146;

While there was no lecture by a woman surgeon during the five-day conference because there are 8216;no old and experienced8217; women surgeons in the country, the overall participation of women surgeons in the event was less than 100 with most of them being post-graduate students.

According to an estimate, the number of women surgeons in the country is nearly one per cent of the total number of surgeons. In the Association of Surgeons of India ASI which has 12,700 members 8211; the second largest body of surgeons in the world after the USA8217;s American College of Surgeons 8211; there are less than 300 women surgeons.

Consequently, there were less than 100 women surgeons during the conference, mainly those who are quite new to the field,8221; remarks Dr Kuldeep Singh, organising secretary of the ASICON-2008, who was instrumental in bringing the conference to the region after 40 years and was praised by the visiting surgeons from various parts of the country.

8220;It is true that a few women opt for this field but the number is gradually increasing now. Out of 18 students of PG in Dayanand Medical College and Hospital DMCH, four are girl students and that is a big number given the fact there would hardly be any girl previously in the field,8221; says Dr Mukta Vig who is a senior resident in General Surgery

at DMCH.