LIBERIA’S HEALTHCARE SYSTEM IS NATIONAL DISGRACE US EMBASSY CONSULAR SECTION FRUSTRATES APPLICATION FOR NON-IMMIGRANT VISA FOR TRAVEL TO USA: THE CASE OF A RECENT APPLICANT

Indeed, the entire socio-cultural, economic and political structure of Liberia, managed, controlled and dominated by the Ruling Political Class had been, and is, a continuing quagmire, during the century and three quarters in which the Republic has been the sovereign State, since 1847.

Moreover, we, Liberians have been, and are unable, to produce Rice and cooking Oil (our national staples) to feed ourselves; we have and, are being, held hostages by foreign-owned and managed Rice and cooking Oil Cartel and other tropical food products imported from distant lands, in collusion with the political rulers, although Liberia is endowed with more fertile land than people.

But my immediate concerns, dating back to several years of socio-economic and political indignities include our Healthcare System in which there had been, and is, glaring absence of medical service-treatment of curable disease in our country. Patients, mostly the wealthy Liberians and foreign nationals, politicians of the political rulers and the politically-connected Liberians are flown, regularly, out of the country for medical service abroad.

An elderly senior citizen with some of the illnesses for which there are no treatment in Liberia, I applied, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to the US Embassy Consular Section for Non-Immigrant Visa for travel to the USA and was requested, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to submit a latest report of my medical condition, which I did in early October, 2019 with the identity (address and telephone numbers) of the desired US hospital.

t my Visa Interview on November 25, 2019 with the US Consular Section, US Embassy, Monrovia, the list of questions given to me, included “Cost of Treatment” (to be provided by the US Hospital) and “Evidence of the ability” to pay the cost of treatment which, also, will be based on the response by the US hospital. But this not happen; so, I emailed a copy of my medical report to my family member, USA, with request that she submit the report to the US Hospital.

Unfortunately, the US Hospital gave January 28, 2020 appointment to receive the report and act on the request for cost of treatment, etc., some three months from November 25, 2019. Now, I am asked by the US Consular Section, Monrovia, “to send a copy of your surgery/medical appointment for January 28, 2020. Additionally, email us any medical reports you may have from the US hospital”, while I am still in Liberia.

Now, in all of this, reasonably – the administration of the Visa Application Process – I submit that Law is based, primarily, on Reason, human reason; and that Law’s Powerful Punch or its major power/support is drawn from and based upon Reason:

• That it is very important NOT to Admit Criminals – terrorists, anarchists, human rights violators or individuals known or to be anti-the democratic process – into the USA.

• That I have answered, successfully, all of the US Consul’s political and economic questions asked of me regarding the Visa application and that there are no criminal charges against me, here in Liberia or anywhere, worldwide;

• That, indeed, I am an honorable, eternal political animal, well-known in Liberia, with open, clear, clean public record and a proven democrat under the rule of law;

• That I am US-educated, pro-USA, lived, worked in the USA for a decade and married US citizen with 2 grown children who, now, live in the Chicago, Illinois area;

• That my application for the Visa is not intended and should not be confused with or interpreted as design for US citizenship; for, I could have achieved that status, easily, long ago, but did not apply for it because Dual US-Liberia citizenship or Dual Nationality violates the main, basic requirements for citizenship – loyalty, Nationalism and patriotism – including the historical convention that “no one may be citizen of two sovereign states at the same time” and, also, the historical adage that “no servant can serve two masters at the same time”, the so-called “modern socio-political conditions notwithstanding”; and

• That, most importantly, dual nationality is illegal in Liberia and that I applied for the Non-Immigrant Visa to save my life; to eliminate constant, daily pain and for peaceful, painless elderly life, because there are no medical services-treatment for such illnesses as prostate (Urology), kidney (Dialysis), ear (Audiology), neck, throat skin/itching, etc. in our country.

The most important reason for granting this Visa to me and other Liberians so qualified is that it harms no one, in terms of placing anyone in danger of terrorism/security risk, both USA and Liberia. On the contrary, granting this Visa to me at this time, is in fact, continuation of the historical US-Liberia friendship, solidarity and US political, economic support, particularly, humanitarian support provided over the years. Indeed, grant of this Visa for medical treatment to save my life means continuation, also, of social, cultural, economic and political support for Liberian families, including my family of 10 children with a multitude of grand, great-grandchildren and the critical future of Liberia.

On The Issue of Visa Refusals under Section 221(g)
I am in agreement, reasonably, with the US Department of State that has acknowledged, also, reasonably, that Section “221(g) refusals happen too often and may be subject to overuse” and possible abuse. According to US Visa Office, “in fiscal year 2008, there were 589,418 nonimmigrant visa refusals under Section 221(g). Of those, 510,549 were successfully overcome and visas issued, a success rate of 87%.”
Accordingly, granting my visa application or successful overcome of visa refusals will improve the success rate of 87%!!

Meanwhile, as indicated earlier that prostate, kidney and hearing loss deceases, etc., untreated overtime, deteriorate, while prostate and kidney may be fatal!!
Therefore, I repeat – ask, request and appeal, most respectfully, with the consent, support and cooperation of the average Liberians that the US Consular Service grant me this Visa based upon the foregoing, reasonable, truthful analysis.
Grant the Visa and Save a Life. The US Law, Section 221(g), demands it!!