At least 18 people were confirmed to have died due to leptospirosis and 60 suspected cases were reported in five towns of Rizal province, Governor Casimiro “Jun” Ynares III said on Saturday.

Ynares said 13 of the 18 leptospirosis deaths were recorded in San Mateo; one in Montalban; two in Taytay; one in Angono; and another one in Binangonan while seven more people were suspected to have contracted the disease in San Mateo; 46 in Montalban; five in Taytay; one in Angono and another one in Binangonan.

He said six government hospitals in Rizal offer free medical service to all patients suffering from the disease.

The provincial government has already distributed medicine to victims of the disease with assistance from the Department of Health (DoH).

Ynares said the provincial government is still in the process of collating other reports and that the number of fatalities could still increase.

Most of those who died from leptospirosis had been exposed to bacteria because of floods caused by tropical storm “Ondoy.”

Meanwhile in Marikina City, the Amang Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center said on Saturday they don’t have enough doctors to help address the growing number of leptospirosis cases in the city, adding that hospital personnel have been forced to extend their duties to serve the increasing number of patients.

Dr. Ricardo Ilustre, hospital director, said the number of patients afflicted with leptospirosis and confined at the hospital rose to 76 as of Friday night.

Sixty-three of the suspected leprospirosis cases were adults while 13 were in the pedia ward.