Fernandes at the United States Senate, Capitol Hill, Washington DC.
In case of heart attacks, he advised people globally to keep 300 mg aspirin in their pockets always and to take the pill when they develop severe chest pain.[19][20][21] He spoke on the mental health budget and the need to create resilience in India highlighting the need for mental health financing.[22] He advocated to regulate the work hours of resident doctors and house surgeons in India to prevent medical error and preventable deaths to patients and create a safe hospital environment through his advocacy in the Economic and Political Weekly.[23]
To plug the shortage of doctors in India, he advised the Union Health Secretary to Government of India to remove the mandatory retirement age for doctors.[24]
In 2017, he was invited to address the United Nations Regional Hub in Bangkok on how South–South cooperation at the ASEAN level can create a new world order in strengthening international development, achieving disaster resilience and meaningfully bringing climate change adaptation practices.[25][26]
The US Government invited him for a high-level deliberation on public health and climate crisis in the Indo-Pacific Region.[27] He pointed out that bursting of firecrackers is among preventable causes of air pollution and noise pollution leading to climate change crisis and also pointed out that rising temperatures reduce the efficiency levels of humans and increases cardiac risks and heat stress.[28]
On food security, he stated that India has historically played a vital role in global food supply chains and in the midst of regional war and frictions, the onus will fall back on nations like India to address food crisis.[29] Following the social media ban by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Dr Fernandes stated that, India & other countries must shed the focus on religion and culture and the language of politics must be replaced with science, health and safety.[30]
Contributions to public health
Fernandes demonstrated proof of concept to end malnutrition in India through a pilot project in Yelburga, Karnataka.[31]
He co-founded Mission ICU,[32] a citizen-driven programme, along with two friends. Mission ICU has supported over 21 District Hospitals of India with over 200 ICU beds and ventilators, thereby building surge capacity in government hospitals.[33] Fernandes wrote to the Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court and to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to ensure a full ban on firecrackers in the state with silent hours to mark the state commitment to climate justice.[34]
Dr. Fernandes was responsible to bring seat belt compulsorily implemented for 4 wheeler drivers in the city of Mangalore in the year 2015, after a long advocacy with the Police and District Administration.[35]
