The National Neonatal Transport Programme has resulted in improved clinical condition of newborns at the end of transfer when compared to their condition before transfer and compared to outcomes prior to the introduction of the programme.
Emigration has never been officially "encouraged" by the British in Ireland as stated by Aschmann (Letters, 3 Feb.). The purpose of 700 years of British tyranny was not to drive the people out, but rather to keep them in Ireland and, of course, in bondage. Emigration from that country was virtually nonexistent until the famines of 1846-1847, at which time the population of all Ireland was approximately 8 million (it is now 3?/2 million).Also, contrary to what Aschmann feels, emigration from Ireland is indeed a blessing in disguise as it exists today. If all of our emigres were to return from even one of the major overseas Irish "settlements" such as London (which has about 1/2 million Irish-born or first-generation Irish), it would be disastrous to an economy now smarting from the results of a badly-planned "economic boom" over the past 6 years. Probably the only unfortunate feature of Irish emigration is the brain drain, since a great segment of our professional men do go abroad to escape institutions which have been unchanged since St. Patrick! If these learned people return, they find themselves looked upon as "returned Yanks" or "Sassenachs" (British) and are never really accepted into the fold (or yoke-depending on your point of view) of home-educated and permanently home-based scientists. Such brave men and women generally suffer in silence for a short while and then inevitably return to America, Britain, Australia, or (strangely enough) Africa where their efforts are much more appreciated and rewarded.Ireland has a very serious braindrain problem-and the general feeling there is that the return of this segment of our emigrants would, in the long run, be greatly beneficial to the country. They will not, of course, return as long as the attitude towards them-and towards change-which exists in Irish universities remains as it has been since the "drain" started in the 1940's. The return of the skilled and unskilled laborers at this time, 17 MARCH 1967
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