New Delhi/Varanasi, Jun 22 (IANS): Just three days after the Indian Railways stationed 960 isolation ward coaches for the mild Covid-19 cases across the country, 59 patients were admitted. Of these, eight recovered, said officials on Monday.

"Railways' innovative step to provide Covid-19 care in coaches has been initiated. 59 suspected patients admitted at Mau in the Varanasi division and 8 have been discharged. We remain committed to doing whatever it takes to help India fight pandemic," tweeted Railways Minister Piyush Goyal.

North Eastern Railway CPR Pankaj Kumar Singh told IANS, "We are receiving the suspected Covid-19 patients in Mau." After the isolation ward coaches were stationed at Mau station on June 20, it received 42 Covid-19 patients and the next day 17 more, he said.

The railways has prepared 5,231 isolation ward coaches for the mild and very mild Covid-19 patients and deployed 960 such coaches in five states -- Delhi, UP, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and MP.

Of this, 503 have been deployed in Delhi, 20 in Andhra Pradesh, 60 in Telangana, 372 in UP and five in MP.

In Delhi, the coaches have been deployed at nine locations -- 50 at Shakurbasti, 267 at Anand Vihar, 21 at Delhi Safdarjung, 50 at Delhi Sarai Rohilla, 33 at Delhi Cantt, 30 at Adarsh Nagar, 13 at Delhi Shahadra, 13 at Tughlakabad and 26 at Patel Nagar railway stations.

In UP, they have been deployed at 23 locations at Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay Junction, Lucknow, Varanasi, Bhadohi, Faizabad, Saharanpur, Mirzapur, Subedarganj, Kanpur, Jhansi, Jhansi Workshop, Agra, Nakha Jungle, Gonda, Nautanwa, Bahraich, Varanasi City, Manduadih, Mau, Bhatni, Bareilly City, Farrukhabad and Kasganj.

In MP, the coaches are deployed at Gwalior, in Andhra Pradesh at Vijayawada, in Telangana at Secunderabad, Kachguda and Adilabad.

The coaches were deployed as per the state governments' requests.