KEY POINTS:
The family of a double killer's victims have reacted with anger to news he is to receive a life-saving operation estimated to cost the taxpayer $1 million.
Jason Reihana was last month jailed with a non-parole period of 21 years - one of the longest ever.
But it was revealed yesterday that Reihana has leukaemia and is to receive a bone-marrow transplant.
Ms Gunn's father, David Gunn, of Hamilton said people who committed serious crimes should not be allowed major operations.
"He's sick. Rather than spend a million dollars on him, just spend a few dollars on an ounce of lead," he said.
Reihana, 35, was convicted of murdering Ms Gunn, the mother of his two sons, and her new boyfriend Andrew Grabner in a frenzied knife attack in Tauranga on December 11, 2005.
Besides robbing him of his daughter, Mr Gunn said Reihana had also cost the family a "fortune" in court costs.
Mr Gunn would be talking to a Member of Parliament today to make a complaint over the fact Reihana will be receiving such costly medical treatment.
"They're going to pay over a million dollars for this bloody operation. I'd prefer him to rot in hell," Mr Gunn said.
"He's shown no remorse to us and as far as I'm aware Andrew's parents have had no contact from him."
According to the Sunday News, Reihana will spend six weeks in Auckland Hospital for the bone marrow transplant.
This will be followed by six months of outpatient care. Prison escorts will take him to and from the hospital every second day and then on intermittent visits for another 18 months.
Ken Evans, from the Tauranga branch of the Sensible Sentencing Trust, said the subject of Reihana's illness and whether or not he deserved treatment was difficult to address.
"I believe his offending has to be dealt with by the courts and I think his medical condition is something the medical system of New Zealand has to deal with as it would with any other person who has a similar illness," he said.
The Corrections Department has costed his post-care at "hundreds of thousands of dollars", including providing at least two guards, 24 hours a day, while Reihana is in hospital. If he presents a problem, three guards will be needed.
Department of Corrections assistant general manager women's and specialist services Bridget White told the Bay of Plenty Times the department provided primary health care to prisoners at the same level they would receive from a community provider.
Ms White said any health care beyond that scope such as surgery was handled by the relevant health board.
"Where a prisoner is deemed suitable to receive surgery, the only involvement Corrections would have is to fund and provide a custodial escort during the surgery and any follow-up appointments," she said.
According to Ms White, prisoners are considered for secondary and tertiary health care under the same eligibility criteria as all members of the public.
When sentencing Reihana last month, Justice Raynor Asher said the murderer's two children were the "two other major victims".
"They now have no mother. It is a cruel aspect of this case that they also have no father in their day-to-day lives. They have to live with the fact that their father murdered their mother," Justice Asher said.
- BAY OF PLENTY TIMES
