Gharib has already been contacted by a civil engineer in Nicaragua, who wants to put up buildings with adobe roofs supported by concrete arches on a site that heavy equipment can't reach.

Internal emergencies in health facilities - such as fires and loss of power or water - can damage buildings and equipment and affect staff and patients.

Despite the credit crunch, banks seemed content to offer loans to companies for buildings and equipment, even as they recoiled from lending to households.