RIYADH — The Ministry of Health's recent decision to empower expecting mothers by giving them the right to sign any approval form related to their health has been described as a step in the right direction by many observers. Pregnant women no longer need a guardian's consent for any medical birth procedures. They can choose to have a natural birth or C-section and get emotional support from healthcare professionals during birth. Their legal guardians will no longer the power to take decisions related to childbirth or prenatal and postnatal care. Speaking to Al-Riyadh Arabic newspaper, many medical specialists and consultants welcomed the new decision because it absolves them of any responsibility if they perform a medical procedure on a woman without her guardian's consent. The Islamic law grants a woman the right to choose the medical procedure that she prefers as long as she is an adult, sane and legally competent. Dr. Eman Abdulhadi, a gynecologist, said doctors used to find them themselves in awkward and sometimes embarrassing situations for operating on a woman or performing an emergency surgery without her guardian's consent. "The Shariah is clear about this issue. Any person, whether a man or a woman, who is an adult and legally competent should have the right to make their own decisions. The situation is different if the patient is insane, in a coma or underage," Abdulhadi said. She noted that some medical procedures such as removal of uterus, treatment of infertility and the like require the approval of husbands. Maha Al-Anqari, a lawyer, said the Saudi law grants women the right to sign any medical forms regarding consent for a surgery or other medical procedures. However, some medical centers and hospitals did not comply with the law in the past and required the consent of a woman's guardian to perform surgeries, especially C-section. The new law gives women the right to decide except in three cases: surgery for removal of uterus, insanity and coma. Manar Al-Jasser, a teacher, said the new law protects the health of women and gives them full right over their medical decisions. "I almost died once while I was in the delivery room. I was in a bad condition and my husband refused to sign the C-section consent form for fear that the baby might get hurt. He finally relented after the doctors convinced him that my life was in great danger," she said. At the time she was not aware of her rights and she did not know that the regulations in the country gave her the right to make decision regarding her health, Al-Jasser said.
