Inday Sara gives a year pay worth P2.1M for hospital staff fighting COVID-19

DAVAO CITY — Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte is donating her salary for an entire year to create a trust fund for the staff of the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) here who are at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19.

Duterte said on Tuesday evening that she was bothered that at least 12 SPMC employees were infected with the new coronavirus disease.

Duterte disclosed that her total annual salary as city mayor is P2,144,266 and that this will be a decent amount to create the trust fund.

“I contemplated to use this as trust fund for SPMC employees who tested positive,” Duterte said.

“I know this cannot compensate for all the fear, anxiety, and exhaustion. Money cannot make up for everything but at least they would have some money that they can use,” she added.

The state-run SPMC is the only COVID-19 dedicated hospital in the city and the lone test laboratory in Mindanao, which handled hundreds of cases since the outbreak.

Dr. Leopoldo Vega, SPMC medical director, divulged Monday that he required all frontline workers in the facility to undergo testing and 12 tested positive for COVID-19 infection.

Vega, however, clarified that 10 of the 12 already recovered and were discharged while the remaining two are still admitted but in stable condition.

Duterte said that apart from the trust fund, the local government and SPMC are moving heaven and earth to procure and provide sufficient personal protective equipment for frontliners in the Davao region.

Health officials documented at least 90 confirmed cases in the Davao region with 15 deaths in Davao City, which is the highest outside Metro Manila.