Making news on this day in 1980 were reports of a high number of births induced in Canberra without medical reason.
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According to Dr Ronald Wells of the Kambah Health Centre, the births had been induced to avoid deliveries on Sundays.
There were almost 30 per cent fewer births that the average for any other day of the week on Sundays at Royal Canberra Hospital in 1970, he said in an article in the Medical Journal or Australia.
A table with the article showed the highest average of births was on Thursdays.
Dr Wells claimed that under item 354 of the Medical Benefits Schedule, doctors could claim $23 for surgically induced labour.
According to Wells, while it was understandable that Obstetricians did not want to work seven days a week, the onus must be on them to show that the inductions were free from problems.
Public expectations of doctors to be on call all the time were unrealistic and perhaps it would be better and more realistic for Obstetricians to have a roster. Wells thought that women should be advised that one of a group of obstetricians may be on staff when labour started and if she wanted one particular obstetrician present at her birth, induction should be expected as a possibility.
