PESHAWAR, Aug 23: A US-based donor agency, AmeriCares, is likely to withdraw its pledge to construct eight pre-fabricated rural health centres in the earthquake-hit areas in the NWFP, official sources said.

According to officials of the provincial health department, AmeriCares had agreed to construct 20 rural health centres at a total cost of $3.20 million in Azad Kashmir and northern districts of the NWFP. A memorandum of understanding had already been signed according to which the latter had agreed to construct 12 rural health centres in the AJK, while eight were to be built in the NWFP.

According to the MoU, the World Health Organisation was supposed to help AmeriCares and the government in identifying areas for building the basic health units, officials said.

AmeriCares had agreed to bear all construction cost of the pre-fabricated health centres containing 15 rooms, a laboratory and x-ray room, they said.

The health departments of the NWFP and the AJK had agreed to provide technical staff and bear running expenses, including the staff’s salary.

Both the AJK and NWFP governments had agreed to identify venues for the proposed units before July 1 and the donor agency had expressed its willingness to complete construction before Aug 31.

The NWFP government had identified sites in Kewai, Chowki in Mansehra district, Chakesar and Maira in Shangla district, Boi, Ayubia in Abbottabad district, Thakot in Battagram district, and Bettera in Kohistan district.

Though the staff of the donor agency approved the AJK sites, and reportedly the construction was almost near completion but the NWFP health department had failed to identify proper sites for two health units. It had identified sites that lacked space because of which construction work could not begin, the sources maintained.

An official said that when only seven days had been left in the expiry of the period of the construction, it was impossible to complete its construction by the Aug 31 deadline.

“The donor agency has already hinted at withdrawing its investment. Its local staff is trying its best to convince them for extending the construction period,” he further said.

Of the eight, six structures were in the final stages of completion, while the fate of the remaining two was unsure, said a source at the WHO. Sources said that if the health department failed to identify sites for the two health units, the AmeriCares was likely to focus its attention on in Azad Kashmir.