Romania maternity rights legislative updates

The Romanian Chamber of Deputies has adopted new legislation to expand maternity rights by modifying the Patient Rights Law. The law grants pregnant women the right to privacy and the ability to choose a companion to accompany them through labor, delivery, and inter-institutional transfers, provided safety and hygiene standards are met.

To ensure dignity, both public and private maternity units must implement measures, such as visual separation, to protect patients from being exposed to others. The legislation also seeks to prevent the unnecessary separation of newborns from their mothers, requiring facilities to organize postnatal care that promotes early mother-infant contact.

While some facilities, such as the Arcadia maternity hospital in Iași, have offered companion options since 2010, other hospitals are currently evaluating the necessary conditions for implementation. Medical professionals have noted potential challenges, including the need for companions to undergo clinical triage and wear protective equipment to maintain safety and epidemiological standards. Access to certain surgical areas may remain restricted due to these concerns.