The decision came yesterday (21) at a meeting at the parliamentary complex attended by minister Lakshman Kiriella and medical faculty deans of seven universities.

The deans agreed to the minister’s suggestion that SAITM should function as a 50-50 state-private partnership, said a spokesman for the higher education ministry.

Attention was also drawn to have a similar plan for Neville Fernando Private Hospital at Malabe.

However, prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe is firm that neither institution will come completely under state control, said the spokesman.