The Bucharest City Hall has canceled the "Maternal Voucher" program, arguing that pregnant women already benefit from free medical services through social insurance.

The Municipality of Bucharest announced on Friday the cancellation of the "Maternal Voucher" program, dedicated to supporting pregnant women, citing budgetary responsibility.

The decision was made by the General Council and is based on the fact that prenatal medical services are already reimbursed through the national health insurance system. Thus, the municipal program had begun to finance services that were already covered. By abolishing it, the administration estimates savings of up to 100 million lei, considering that the program required an annual budgetary effort of approximately 25 million lei.

The municipality emphasizes that the saved funds will be redirected towards the modernization of hospitals and maternity wards in Bucharest, especially in the neonatology departments, where there are urgent investment needs.

This measure is not seen as a decrease in concern for the health of mothers and children, but as a prioritization of resources in healthcare infrastructure.

The "Maternal Voucher" program was introduced in 2018 and provided support of 2000 lei to pregnant women in the capital.