Hyderabad, Jun 12 (IANS): In the continuing surge in Covid-19 cases, Telangana on Friday reported nine deaths and 164 new infections.

The fresh fatalities pushed the death toll in the state to 174 while the tally of Covid-19 positive cases mounted to 4,484.

According to the director of public health and family welfare, out of 164 new cases, 133 were reported from Greater Hyderabad, the worst-affected among all 33 districts. The remaining cases were reported from 13 districts.

The number of patients undergoing treatment in hospitals was 2,032 as 2,278 have so far been discharged after recovery.

Meanwhile, the junior doctors at Gandhi Hospital, Telangana's exclusive facility to treat Covid-19 patients, on Friday called off the strike on the condition that the state government address their demands in 15 days.

Over 300 junior doctors were on strike since Tuesday night after one of their colleagues on duty was assaulted by relatives of a patient, who had succumbed to Covid-19.

They had decided to boycott the duties till the government accepted their demands including resuming non-Covid healthcare services at Gandhi Hospital and decentralisation of management of SARI and Covid-19 positive cases.

Telangana Junior Doctors' Association (JUDA) also demanded recruitment of doctors and nurses and deployment of Special Protection Force (SPF) at all government teaching hospitals.

The two rounds of talks between JUDA and Health Minister E. Rajender had failed to resolve the issue. However, following the assurances given by the minister late Thursday, the medicos decided to end the strike.

"Taking public health into consideration especially in view of the pandemic we are fighting and trusting the Health Minister's reassuring words, Juda has decided to conditionally call off the strike and resume duties with immediate effect," they said.

JUDA said that the minister should personally address their demands so that they don't have to boycott their duties again.