Rajya Osusala high-tech LCD display of token numbers gone awry!

I happened to accompany a friend of mine to Rajya Osusala at Colombo 7 (Lipton Circus Branch) recently to purchase some medicine. On submission of his prescription, which had the names of just only two types of tablets, he got a small computer generated print out which had a number.

We were requested to take a seat and on inquiry from the counter as to how long it would take, we were informed that it wouldn’t take much time.

There was a display of token numbers on a large LCD screen – three series of numbers viz. 1,000, 2,000, 3,000 – it was in three different colours, if I remember right, and the respective number of the counter from which one could collect the medicine. There were announcements made simultaneously over the microphone in English of the numbers appearing on the screen. This was further communicated by the salespeople at the respective counters calling out the numbers in Sinhala.

Not only my colleague but some others were also not lucky to see the numbers in our possession on the screen. Because of some technical hitch (or is it called glitch?) the sequence skipped certain numbers and I had to approach one of the salesladies and had to put a bit of pressure (which is not my usual stance) on her to get my friend’s medicine, which otherwise could have taken a longer time.

This letter is to request the management of the Osusala to ensure that the computer generates the numbers in the correct sequence as far as possible (as it is obvious that prescriptions with a long list of medicines will invariably take some time to dispense) without inconveniencing the customers.

I also feel that the instead of making the announcement on the microphone and followed by the counter people announcing in Sinhala, make just one announcement in Sinhala and those manning the counters could be freed of this task.

Mohamed Zahran

Colombo 3