At least 12 people, including seven police personnel, were injured in a clash between agitating non-teaching staff and the police at Pokhara-based Manipal Teaching Hospital on Monday.

Police briefly detained 20 protesters. 

The non-teaching employees of pharmacy, housekeeping, transportation, kitchen, electricity and equipment maintenance and staff nurses at the hospital are protesting for the past six months demanding implementation of the agreement on salary increment, holidays and permanent status, among others. Affiliated to trade unions close to CPN-UML, Nepali Congress and CPN (Maoist Centre), they had  been staging a sit-in protest in front of the hospital administration for the past nine days, until security personnel intervened on Monday.

The agitating hospital employees accused the police of using excessive force to quell their peaceful protest. 

Ramesh Bohara, the coordinator of the protest, claimed that BS Nagpal, the hospital dean, and Bhanu Bhardwoj, the chief of Human Resources Department, had called police to suppress their protest. He demanded resignation of Nagpal and Bhardwoj.

Police said they were compelled to intervene as the protesters attempted to disrupt the hospital operation.

Superintendent of Police Ashok Singh said 20 protesters, who were arrested for vandalism, were released in the evening. 

The hospital management and the agitating side are scheduled to hold talks on Tuesday to resolve the dispute.