Luis Montes Mieza facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Luis Montes
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Luis Montes in 2011
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| Born | 1949 Villarino de los Aires, Spain
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| Died | 19 April 2018 (aged 68–69) Murcia, Spain
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| Nationality | Spanish |
| Alma mater | Complutense University of Madrid |
| Occupation | Anesthetist Activist |
| Years active | 1987–2018 |
| Employer | Severo Ochoa Hospital of Leganés |
| Known for | Accused of homicide by giving "dignified death" to terminally ill patients. First Spanish Law of Dignified Death approved thanks to him. |
| Political party | Podemos |
Luis Montes Mieza (born in 1949 – died April 19, 2018) was a Spanish doctor. He was an expert in anesthesiology, which is about giving medicine to make patients sleep during operations. He also worked to support the idea of a "dignified death" for people who are very sick.
From 2009 until he passed away, he was the leader of an organization called "Derecho a Morir Dignamente." This name means "Right to Die with Dignity."
Contents
Luis Montes's Life and Work
Early Life and Medical Training
Luis Montes studied medicine at the Complutense University of Madrid. This is a well-known university in Spain. After finishing his studies, he became a doctor.
Working at Severo Ochoa Hospital
In 1987, Dr. Montes started working at the Severo Ochoa Hospital in Leganés, a city in Spain. He worked there as an anesthesiologist. Later, he became the director of the hospital. From 2000, he was in charge of the Emergency Department. He held this important job until 2005. Even after that, he continued to work as a doctor in the Emergency Department until he died.
The Leganés Hospital Case
Understanding the Situation
In May 2005, Dr. Luis Montes and another doctor, Miguel Ángel López Varas, faced an investigation. The Health Department of Madrid started looking into their work. This happened because of some anonymous complaints. These complaints said that doctors were giving high doses of medicine to very sick patients in the Emergency Service. These patients were terminally ill, meaning they had illnesses that could not be cured.
The Investigation and Its Outcome
The Health Department looked at 73 cases of patients who received sedation between 2003 and 2005. Sedation is when medicine is used to make a patient calm or sleep. The report suggested that some sedations might have been done incorrectly. Because of this, Dr. Montes was removed from his role as coordinator in 2005.
However, in January 2008, a court officially closed the case. The court decided that there was no clear proof that the sedations caused the deaths. This meant that the accusations against Dr. Montes were not proven. The court did not find that there was any medical mistake.
Working for Patient Rights
Leading the Right to Die with Dignity Association
From 2009 until his death in 2018, Luis Montes was the Federal President of the "Right to Die with Dignity" association. This group works to support several important ideas for patients.
Key Goals of the Association
The association believed that patients should have the right to make choices about their own medical care, especially at the end of their lives. They supported:
- Making sure all patients could get palliative care. This is special care that helps seriously ill people feel comfortable and have a better quality of life.
- Allowing patients to have sedation if they need it to be comfortable.
- Helping people create a living will. This is a legal document where a person can write down their wishes for medical treatment if they become unable to speak for themselves.
- Respecting a patient's choices and their individual freedom in medical decisions.
Changes in Spanish Law
In 2011, the Spanish government tried to create a national law about dignified death. This law aimed to give legal protection to doctors and ensure patients and their families had guarantees. While a national law wasn't passed at that time, some regions in Spain, like Andalusia, Aragon, and Navarre, approved similar laws. These laws were inspired by the ideas Dr. Montes and his association supported.
Luis Montes's Death
Luis Montes passed away on April 19, 2018. He had a heart attack while driving in Molina de Segura, a town in the Region of Murcia.
Images for kids
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Luis Montes in 2011
See also
In Spanish: Luis Montes para niños
