Mangaluru:The district Wenlock hospital in the city will be turned into a dedicated hospital for the treatment of COVID-19 patients, Dakshina Kannada district-in- charge Minister Kota Srinivas Poojary said on Thursday.

Addressing reporters here, he said the 250-bed super speciality wing at Wenlock would be converted to a dedicated hospital to treat coronavirus patients in view of the prevailing situation.

The 20-bed Ayush block will be used for the treatment of suspected cases. The patients currently being treated for various other ailments at the hospital will be shifted to private hospitals within three days.

The expenses for their treatment will be borne by the government, he said. The 705 beds available at the hospital wards will be used for coronavirus cases in a phased manner.

The patients visiting the outpatient ward will be directed to go to nearby medical colleges for treatment, he said.

A total of 140 children being treated at the regional advanced paediatric care centre at the hospital will be shifted to nearby medical college hospitals.

The centre will also be used for covid-19 treatment. Poojary said at present five COVID-19 patients and 140 suspected cases are being treated at the Wenlock hospital.

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New Delhi (PTI): To beef up the security infrastructure of ports, the government will set up a statutory body -- the Bureau of Port Security -- that will ensure timely analysis, collection and exchange of security-related information of ports and vessels, officials said on Friday.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday convened a meeting for the constitution of the dedicated body, the Bureau of Port Security (BoPS), which was attended by the Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, and the Minister of Civil Aviation, Ram Mohan Naidu, an official statement said.

Emphasising that there is a need to establish a country-wide robust port security framework, Shah directed that security measures should be implemented in a graded and risk-based manner, taking into account vulnerabilities, trade potential, location, and other relevant parameters.

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The meeting also noted that lessons learned from the maritime security framework shall be replicated in the aviation security domain, the statement said.

The new body, modelled on the lines of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), will be constituted as a statutory body under the new Merchant Shipping Act, 2025, and will work under the aegis of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW), it said.

Headed by a senior IPS officer as its director general, the BoPS will be responsible for regulatory and oversight functions relating to the security of ships and port facilities.

"During the transition period of one year, the director general of shipping shall function as the director general of BoPS," the statement said.

"The BoPS will ensure timely analysis, collection and exchange of security-related information, with a special focus on cybersecurity, including a dedicated division to safeguard port IT infrastructure from digital threats," it said.

The government has designated the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) as a recognised security organisation (RSO), responsible for undertaking security assessments and preparation of security plans for port facilities.

The Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) will train and build the capacities of private security agencies (PSAs) engaged in port security.

"These agencies shall be certified and appropriate regulatory measures shall be introduced to ensure that only the licensed PSAs operate in this sector," the statement said.