Fact check: Did a Meghalaya woman give birth in a stranded vehicle?

Before I begin, take a very close look at this video. The video has been widely shared across social media and picked up by several news platforms claiming that the women in the car gave birth inside the vehicle after roads were ducked up and blocked by supporters of the Shree Cement Public Hearing at Snong Rim in Meghalaya's East Jayanty Hills District. However, when we contacted officials from the Health Department and the East Jayanty Hills District Administration, we found that this claim was false. The Deputy Commissioner too was quick to issue a press release, but probably did not get the the attention of many and that's how the rumor spread. As for the facts of the case, this is what happened. On Friday, July 31st at around 4.30 a.m, Rini Wanki Sukhline went into labor. An auxiliary nurse midwife or ANM reached her house, examined her and found that she was seven centimeters dilated and experiencing strong contractions. Since Sukhline was a high-risk pregnant woman, the ANM decided to refer her to Sutna CHC or the Community Health Centre. At around 8 she left her home in a vehicle under the Chief Minister Safe Motherhood Scheme also called a CMSMS However the vehicle was stranded for about 45 minutes because the road had been ducked up The headman of Snong Rim then coordinated with the headman of Leilad to arrange another CMSMS vehicle. At around 9.15am, Sukhline was safely transferred from the Shnong Rim vehicle to the one from Lelad and the journey to Suttinga CHC continued. She reached the hospital at around 10.15am and delivered a healthy baby girl at 11.15am. Additional Chief Secretary Sampat Kumar told East Mojo that the mother received all necessary medical care from the attending medical officer and the ANM. Both the mother and the newborn are safe. So, while it is true that Sukhlaan was in labour and remained stranded for about 45 minutes after the road was dug up during the protest linked to the Shri Sement public hearing, she did not give birth inside the vehicle. Thank you for watching. If you have stayed with us till the end of this video, thank you. It tells us that independent journalism matters to you. reporting from the ground takes time, effort, and resources, and we can only keep doing it with your support. So if you value the work we do, consider becoming a member of East Mojo. Just click on the link in the description or scan the QR code on your screen. Your support helps us continue telling stories that matter.