In Balochistan's second-largest hospital, Sandeman Provincial Hospital Quetta, eight out of 18 dialysis machines are out of order and 10 are outdated, exacerbating the woes of kidney patients.

Over 40 kidney patients visit the hospital every day for treatment, Dr Fareed Sumalani, the hospital's medical superintendent told DawnNews.

Many come and go in frustration, said a senior doctor who declined to be named.

The working time of a dialysis machine is 15,000 hours, Dr Sumalani said. Each of the 10 outdated machines has completed more than 23,000 hours, he added.

"We have been waiting since 6am for my husband's dialysis," a woman from Balochistan's Sibi district said. "We come eight times a month for his dialysis", she said, her voice cracking with emotion.

Amir Muhammad, the attendant of a teenage girl from Noshki lamented that they had made a long journey to the hospital only to be told the dialysis machines are out of order.

Patients who come to Sandeman hospital are asked to approach private dialysis centres and hospitals as the health department has failed to provide functional dialysis machines.

Private dialysis centres and hospitals charge more than Rs5,000 from patients.

Dr Sumalani said the hospital has requested the finance department to release funds for the purchase of new dialysis machines.

The case for granting money to purchase new machines will "hopefully be approved soon", he said.

The Balochistan Government had allocated Rs17.50 billion for the health sector during the current budget. However, Rs1.57bn were allocated for the purchase of free medicines.