THE Tung Wah Group of Hospitals plunged into a storm of criticism yesterday when it tried to distance itself from the operation of three so-called 'cagemen' hostels in Tai Kok Tsui.
The group admitted last night it had been aware of the squalid conditions of the hostels, which are group property, but had made no improvements because it had no right to do so.
Social workers condemned the group's defence as irresponsible.
The Sunday Morning Post this week reported that the places were rat-infested and residents lived in fear of frequent communal fights.
According to the Home Affairs Department, the Government entrusted the Tung Wah group, Hong Kong's largest charity, to manage a temple on the site in 1928.
The existing six-storey block was built in 1959.
