Ruckus at IOACON: Annual Conference of Indian Orthopaedic Association gets mired in Controversy as students protest doctors smoking

Amritsar: The annual conference of the Indian Orthopaedic Association turned awry yesterday when the local students of the University where the conference was being organised locked horns with the participating doctors present for allegedly smoking in campus.

Indian Orthopaedic Association organized its 67th Annual Conference, IOACON 2022 on the theme of "Success with Surgical and Soft Skills" at Guru Nanak Dev University. The Conference commenced on November 28 and today i.e. December 03, 2022 is the last date for the conference. It is estimated that around 5000+ Orthopedicians from all over India have come to attend the conference at the holy city of Amritsar.

Unfortunately, things turned sideways when some University students created a row at the conference as they claimed that some doctors allegedly were smoking in the parking lot. This they pointed out was against the university rules, which also houses a Gurudwara in its campus 

Apart from this, the students also had an objection over the conference bag which had a printed photograph of the Golden Temple of Amritsar and the way of portraying a Sikh figure on the conference logo.

It is reported that the students first had heated altercations with doctors at the parking lot over smoking, thereafter moving inside the conference venue where a session was going on.

The students took over the stage and engaged in an argument with the doctors, reprimanding them various issues ranging from smoking as well as hurting religious sentiments and left the stage raising slogans "shame shame". Besides, the students also created roadblock at the stall area and conference venue, sources informed Medical Dialogues.

The video of the incident is already viral on the social media platforms. Claiming that religious sentiments are attached with the Golden Temple, the students are seen in the video telling the doctors, "The photo of our religious place is being printed on a bag. Then taking the bag in their hands, your doctors are smoking cigarettes. This is our campus and we request you that if this is your attitude and behaviour, then please leave our campus. We come to the institute to read and to become something in life- not to smoke like you doctors." The students also raised an objection over the logo of the conference which had portrayed a figure doing Bhangra.

Although the doctors and organisers repeatedly gave an apology and assured that such mistakes would not be repeated, the students left the stage raising slogans "shame shame' and "go back". The students are reportedly continuing protest against the issue and they have also demanded legal action against the doctors.

Medical Dialogues tried to reach out to the organisers and conference secretariat but did not get a response at the time of writing this report.

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