The Editor, Sir:

Some time ago, I was invited to a luncheon and was seated next to a man who, it turned out, was easily the most important person in the room, but you wouldn't have known it from his quiet, almost self-effacing demeanour. He seemed to enjoy his own company, yet was just as comfortable answering questions about one of his greatest passions.

The man was Oliver Foot, a son of Sir Hugh Foot (later Lord Caradon), one of Jamaica's most popular governors of the colonial era. Oliver was born here while his parents were on their tour of duty. Asked about childhood memories, he laughed as he told about running around barefoot to the great disapproval of the staff who did not associate barefoot behaviour with a governor's child.

He spoke of his lifelong love for this island and how easy it was to respond when the opportunity came for him to do something for Jamaica. What he did was something which he really enjoyed and which benefited many.

Oliver Foot was president and executive director of the Orbis Flying Hospital Programme which was introduced here in 1982. The programme involves regional eye care professionals working alongside volunteer eye specialists from the United States, United Kingdom and Canada who travel annually to the Caribbean as well as other places around the globe.

Treating ailments

ORBIS, he said, was designed not only to provide treatment for ailments of the eye, but to expose professionals to the latest in treating ailments which can lead to blindness - glaucoma, retinal diseases and ocular trauma. Its objective was described as - to strengthen the support system in primary eye care, ophthalmic nursing and biomedical engineering. The patients treated while ORBIS is on ground in any country are selected based on the nature of the surgery the doctors want to perform.

Medical professionals from both private and public hospitals are given the opportunity to participate. The onground programme here is coordinated by the Ministry of Health, the Jamaica Ophthalmology Society and the Ophthalmology Society of the West Indies.

Oliver Foot beamed with pride as he explained that the ORBIS programme had been nominated (in 2006) for a Nobel Peace Prize. He credited it with not only "giving sight to the blind" but, he said, had overcome boundaries of race, creed and colour in the many countries where the ORBIS flying hospital - a VC-10 aircraft, fitted out with operating theatre and other facilities - treated patients.

That was the mission of the man who also helped to promote Jamaica in the UK tourism field. But that wasn't all. There was something else which gave him satisfaction. As we conversed, he said: "I am a Christian, you know" and proceeded to speak of his spiritual journey. I've never met many persons at social events who talk openly and unself-consciously about their faith. Oliver Foot did.

I was moved when I read of his death recently. One would hope that because of the groundwork he laid, ORBIS will fly here again. I've learned that he was buried two weeks ago in Cornwall, a quiet corner of England, which appealed to his habit of doing what he had to do and doing it without fanfare.

I am, etc.,

BARBARA GLOUDON

Kingston 5