UMERKOT, Feb 14: A teenage girl suffering from malaria died on Wednesday, with her family complaining that her doctor delayed her medical treatment and sought to rid her of the `supernatural soul` that had possessed her.

They said that medical officer Dr Bashir Ahmed Bhutto of the Rural Health Centre, Hyder Farm, in Umerkot taluka of district Umerkot used faith-healing techniques on 15-year-old Samina for about a week.

She was taken to the Taluka Hospital Umerkot when she suddenly collapsed and did not wake up last Tuesday. She died at the hospital on Wednesday.

Samina`s condition had been critical when was brought to the taluka hospital on Tuesday, said medical officer Dr Moiz Ali Shah. He said he had attended to the teenager when she had beenbrought in and had diagnosed her with malaria.

According to Samina`s father, when the family took her to the Rural Health Centre, Hyder Farm the native village of former Sindh chief minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Functional senator Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah they had been told by Dr Bhutto that Samina was possessed by a supernatural soul. He admitted her in his private quarters where around 200 similar patients had already been present.

During the course of one week, Dr Bhutto, who had been transferred to Umerkot from Larkana five months ago, attempted to treat Samina employing various faith-healing methods. He gave her a `tawiz` (amulet) to wear and special water to drink. This continued forabout a week, said Samina`s father, but when she suddenly fainted the family finally took her to the Taluka Hospital Umerkot, where she eventually died.

According to the rural health centre staff, Dr Bhutto hasn`t drawn any salary during his five-month service and earns through his faith-healing business. They said that since his transfer to Umerkot, the doctor has not once left the area to visit his family, not even on Eid.

Dr Bhutto refused to comment on the allegations.

After complaints from the family, Umerkot district health officer Umer Rind constituted a committee comprising Dr Murad Panhwer, Taluka Hospital Umerkot medical superintendent, Dr Madhori, medical officer for women, and Dr Moiz Ali Shah.