Amaravati, Jun 9 (IANS): Following negotiations and assurances from Andhra Pradesh Health Minister Alla Kali Krishna Srinivas, hundreds of junior doctors called off their strike on Wednesday.

"Our demands were positively heard and in response proposals were made by the government for the same. We have been given a few assurances regarding the demands," said a statement issued by the Andhra Pradesh Junior Doctors' Association (APJUDA).

The assurances included an ex-gratia of Rs 25 lakh in the event of a junior doctor succumbing to Coronavirus while discharging Covid duties.

"Any doctor who succumbs while serving during the Covid pandemic will be given an ex-gratia amount of Rs 25 lakh by the state government irrespective of the amount given by the Central government," said the statement.

According to Rahul Roy, president of APJUDA, the first beneficiary of this ex-gratia would be Kandikatla Rosy, a house surgeon from the 2016 batch at Eluru's ASRAM Medical College.

While caring for several Covid patients at the medical college, Rosy unfortunately contracted the virus and succumbed to it later.

The junior doctors are expecting that the government would pay the ex-gratia to Rosy's kin within 2-3 days.

The other assurances include the state government paying the medical bills of any doctor getting infected while discharging Covid duties, increased protection for duty doctors at hospitals and resolving the stipend issues.

"A request was made regarding the provision of an incentive/hike in stipend as a gesture of appreciation and encouragement for junior doctors, which was received positively by the minister," said the note.

The junior doctors said that they are calling off the protest keeping the pandemic in view, even before a government order was released on these assurances.

"Considering the personal assurances of the minister himself, all post-graduates and house surgeons have decided to call off the strike and resume duties from today (Wednesday)," the statement added.