Madam, - As an Irishman, to whom Canada has offered the life-opportunities that the country of his birth could not, I am appalled by Ireland's prohibition of Canada's attendance at the Special Olympics. The shock resulting from this ill-advised action has reduced the ban to Torontonians notwithstanding the fact that Toronto is a bigger Irish city than many of Ireland's own.
Toronto's Irish are not banned from returning home this summer and this is sensible as SARS is a hospital-based and not community-based disease. This unscientific and impolite ban not only targets the disadvantaged who courageously overcome all impediments to compete but it also demonstrates an uncharacteristic lack of historical memory.
During the Great Famine, Canada accepted all Irish refugees despite clear evidence of fatal disease transmission from the ships. The Quarantine Station at Grosse Isle, Quebec, was the first attempt anywhere to treat quarantined patients by separating the sick from the healthy and by providing medical care. At one point in 1847 on Grosse Isle, 12 of the 14 doctors were ill and three died. Prior to this, quarantine practice had been to keep the infected ships off shore resulting in the deaths of most occupants, originally infected or not.
SARS is a global disease that requires expert handling. Ireland would be a safer place if it sent its public health officers to Toronto to become expert instead of letting these officials ban low-risk individuals who continue the historic communication between our two countries. - Yours, etc.,
Dr VIVIAN MCALISTER, London, Ontario.