Nairobi, Dec. 11 -- Primary health facilities in Kenya waited an average of 24 days to receive essential medicines and medical supplies in the year ended June 2025, forcing patients to either buy drugs from private pharmacies at a higher cost or go without treatment.

Supply delivery time or lead time is the total duration from placing an order with a supplier to actually receiving the goods or services, encompassing order processing, production, shipping, and final delivery.

Essential medicines are those that satisfy the priority healthcare needs of the population.

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Latest data shows that the order turnaround time-the number of days between when a facility submits an order and whe...