In September 2019, patients at Nairobi's public Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital were waiting their turn across the hospital, including at the pharmacy. The hospital handled more than a thousand patients a day, and The Star reported that long queues had especially characterized departments such as the pharmacy. The hospital therefore prepared a first-in, first-out system: visitors would take a numbered ticket from a machine and be called to the appropriate clinic.
A pharmacy queue is a reminder that care does not end when the consultation does. Before prescribed medicine reaches a patient's hands, people must share another scarce counter and another portion of the hospital day. A ticket cannot magically remove the wait, but it can make the order visible and reduce the burden of standing—an important detail when many of the people waiting are already unwell.
Quality check: The Star’s report dated 9 September 2019 identifies the hospital, long pharmacy queues, and the first-in-first-out ticket system in the same setting, matching the article’s place, date, and purpose.