Family of Claire Murray, 24, a woman hailing from Perth died last week in a Singapore hospital following a liver transplant. Her family was given a two-year interest-free loan of $250,000, now that Murray has died, the family would still have to repay the loan, says WA Premier Colin Barnett.

Murray died after her life-support machine that doctors turned off after surgery to remove blood clots near her heart failed.

The government advanced the loan to her after an earlier taxpayer-funded liver transplant failed when she began using heroin again, following which she was deemed ineligible for another liver transplant in Australia.

Barnett said, "That loan is like any other loan the government may make. We anticipate they'll repay that money."