Hyderabad, May 28 (IANS): Junior doctors in government-run hospitals across Telangana on Thursday night called off their strike.

The junior doctors, who had been on strike since Wednesday morning, resumed duties from 9 p.m. on Thursday.

The Telangana Junior Doctors Association (TJUDA) announced that they are calling off the strike keeping in view patients' health as their first priority and their responsibility to serve them in present pandemic crisis.

The Association, which held talks with Principal Secretary, Medical and Health, and Director of Medical Education, thanked Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and health authorities for addressing stipend hike and also allocation of beds for doctors and their family members in the Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS).

"The only issue that was not completely addressed about ex gratia for martyred HCWs from state government side. Health officials gave us verbal assurance that alternative for ex gratia will be discussed with Hon'ble CM. We hope this issue will be addressed by Hon'ble CM as early as possible honouring martyred HCWs and support to their dependents," it said.

About 4,000 junior doctors were on strike to press for their demands. They began the strike on Wednesday with the boycott of Covid-19 and non-Covid-19 elective duties and intensified it on Thursday with the boycott of emergency duties.

The TJUDA was demanding 15 per cent hike for junior doctors with retrospective effect from January 2020, ex gratia of Rs 50 lakh for family members of junior doctors who died of Covid-19, allotment of beds in NIMS for healthcare workers including junior doctors and their family members for free treatment, and 10 per cent risk allowance.

Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao accepted on Wednesday announced a 15 per cent increase in the honorarium for senior resident doctors. He also extended the enhanced honorarium to the medical students who are engaged in the Covid-19 duties after their three years of MBBS course. He also ordered that medical facilities for junior doctors and their family members at NIMS be further strengthened.

Chandrasekhar Rao also appealed to junior doctors to immediately call off the strike and return to the duty. He said going on strike during the pandemic is not proper.

He assured the government is ready to address justified demands of the junior doctors.