PESHAWAR, Sept 17: Land disputes are delaying construction of prefabricated health units in the quake-hit areas of the NWFP. Sources said that the World Health Organisation had expressed concern over the disputes on sites selected by the provincial government for construction of prefabricated health units and had asked the government to allocate other sites at the earliest.
The NWFP health department and US-based donor agency AmeriCares had signed a memorandum of understanding for the construction of 20 rural health centres at a cost of $3.20 million in the quake-hit areas of the AJK and the northern district of the NWFP.
AmeriCares had agreed to construct 12 centres in the AJK and eight in the NWFP.
According to the MoU, the WHO was supposed to help AmeriCares and the government in the identification of sites and construction of health units, whereas expenditures would be borne by the donor agency.
The pre-fabricated rural health centres would comprise 15 rooms, a laboratory and x-ray room. The project, however, suffered setback due to some land disputes in the NWFP.
A letter sent by WHO’s country chief Dr Khalife Mahmud Bile to NWFP secretary health Abdul Samad Khan on Sept 15 said that construction work on seven rural health centres (RHCs) had been started and at least two to three RHCs would be completed by the end of the current month, whereas the rest would be completed by October 6.
It said that in Shangla district Chowga had been identified as alternate site for Ayubia. The local naib nazim and his opponents had a dispute over the site. Both the parties wanted to build the RHC at a location of their choice, and the matter had been reported to the Shangla executive district officer (health), it said.
The letter read that the agreement between the EDO and the land owner was that the building would be handed over to the owner after one or two years and would become his property.
“This is against the wishes and policy of donors as the RHC structure is being built for at least 35 years and it will be merged with permanent RHC complex,” it said, adding that the WHO was already facing problems at the Maira RHC site in Shangla district. This site was also taken on an agreement between the EDO health and land owners, including naib nazim.
“We are having a lot of interference from land owners, the work is again stopped at the site by one of the owners six days back as he is not allowing any construction outside the plinth walls of the RHC. We have to lay pipes, make tank and water supply arrangements outside the plinth walls,” the letter said.
The health departments of the NWFP and AJK had agreed to provide technical staff and bear running expenses, including salaries.
Both the AJK and NWFP governments had agreed to identify spots for the proposed construction before July 1, 2006, and the donor agency had showed its willingness to complete the construction process 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.
