A retired U S Army officer, Harold Eugene Amboree, has been hospitalised in Ghana for five years, living on the generosity of strangers after the U S Embassy refused to cover his medical expenses.
According to Amboree, the embassy declined to pay because his stay in the country was not officially authorised by the U S government.
This decision has put the hospital in a difficult position. Management says they cannot continue his life-sustaining treatment indefinitely but fear he will die if discharged.
In an interview, Amboree revealed that he has no children or relatives and has been relying on the kindness of Ghanaians since his arrival.
“People are often shocked when I tell them I have no family to depend on in an emergency,” he said.
Amboree explained that he previously lived on his social security benefits, but those payments have since been blocked.
“My grandfather is dead. My grandmother is also dead. All the hierarchy of my family are dead, and basically, I am on my own,” he stated. “I have no idea where the rest of my family members are. People get surprised when I answer this question.”
He denied any suggestion that he was withholding information that could help locate relatives to assist with his medical bills.
“I am not playing any games with anyone,” he insisted.
Amboree, who retired honourably from the U S Army, said he came to Ghana five years ago and immediately felt at home.
“The moment I got to Ghana, I realised this was a place I wanted to be,” he said.
“I survived here through a lot of patience and tolerance.”
Over the past five years, he has been unable to establish a business or find a stable source of income. When asked how he manages to survive, he was evasive, saying only that he relies on the help of others.
“I ask myself the same question as to how I survive. I wish I could tell you, but I think it’s a challenge—and yet, I am still living and still here,” he remarked.
He added that he did not inform U S authorities of his relocation to Ghana because, as a retired soldier, no law required him to do so.
Amboree is currently receiving treatment at Bloom Medical Centre in Ghana.
However, the U S Embassy has refused to pay his medical bills, insisting that his presence in the country was unauthorised.
Dr Laurentiu Eugen Ilie, Country Director for Bloom Medical Centre, confirmed that the hospital notified the embassy about the veteran’s condition.
Embassy officials visited the facility, collected information, and had management sign several documents. Despite this, the embassy later declined to accept financial responsibility for his medical costs.
Dr Ilie stressed that discharging Amboree at this stage would be a death sentence, a situation the hospital is determined to avoid.
